Entry Level Landscaping Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Job Overview

Company: Madroño Landscape Design Studio

Location: San Francisco, California

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $25.00–$35.00+ per hour, based on experience

Schedule: Field-based, with overtime opportunities

Service Area: Primarily San Francisco, with occasional projects on the Peninsula

The Role

Madroño Landscape Design Studio is hiring landscape crew members for our maintenance and construction teams.

We welcome candidates with experience in landscape maintenance, landscape construction, hardscaping, planting, or general outdoor field work. You do not need to have every skill listed below. We will consider your experience, strengths, and interests when determining which crew is the best fit.

Employees may begin on a maintenance crew and gain experience on construction and installation projects over time. This is a good opportunity for someone who enjoys physical work, wants to learn different landscape skills, and is looking for steady, long-term employment.

What You Will Do

Depending on your experience and assigned crew, you may:

• Perform daily landscape maintenance or construction work.
• Use hand tools, power tools, and landscape equipment safely.
• Load, unload, carry, and organize tools and materials.
• Keep job sites and work areas clean and orderly.
• Follow instructions from a foreman or crew leader.
• Work with teammates to complete scheduled work efficiently.
• Assist with planting, irrigation, soil preparation, and cleanup.
• Communicate respectfully with coworkers, clients, and other trades.
• Report damaged tools, unsafe conditions, or field issues promptly.
• Learn new skills through hands-on training and field experience.
• Support another crew when schedules or project needs change.

Maintenance Work May Include

• Mowing, edging, and blowing
• Pruning and trimming
• Weeding and cleanup
• Planting and transplanting
• Mulch and soil work
• Seasonal property cleanup
• Irrigation observations and minor adjustments
• Loading and unloading tools at multiple properties
• Helping maintain clean, healthy residential and commercial landscapes

Construction Work May Include

• Site preparation and demolition
• Digging, grading, and excavation
• Drainage and irrigation installation
• Concrete and masonry support
• Carpentry and fence construction
• Paver and tile installation
• Low-voltage landscape lighting
• Plant, shrub, and tree installation
• Moving soil, gravel, lumber, stone, and other materials
• Final cleanup and preparation for project completion

Required Qualifications

• Willingness to perform physical outdoor work
• Reliable attendance and punctuality
• Ability to follow directions and work as part of a crew
• Ability to lift and carry tools, plants, soil, lumber, masonry materials, and other job-site items, with or without reasonable accommodation
• Ability to bend, kneel, climb, dig, stand, and work on uneven terrain
• Ability to work outdoors in changing weather conditions
• Respectful attitude toward coworkers, clients, and company property
• Interest in learning and developing long-term skills
• Reliable transportation to the required meeting point or job site

Experience Levels

We are open to different levels of experience.

Entry-Level Candidates

You may be a fit if you:

• Have experience in construction, moving, warehouse work, farming, grounds work, or another physical job
• Are dependable and comfortable with demanding outdoor work
• Take direction well
• Want to learn landscape maintenance or construction

Experienced Candidates

You may qualify for a higher starting rate if you:

• Have prior landscape maintenance or construction experience
• Can provide a positive reference from a former supervisor
• Know how to use common landscape tools and equipment
• Understand basic plant care, irrigation, hardscape, carpentry, masonry, or concrete work
• Can work independently after receiving instructions
• Can help guide less-experienced crew members

Preferred Qualifications

• One or more years of landscape, construction, hardscape, or grounds-maintenance experience
• Experience with high-end residential properties
• Spanish-English bilingual ability
• Knowledge of local plants and trees
• Experience operating compact landscape equipment
• Basic irrigation, carpentry, masonry, concrete, or drainage experience
• Valid driver’s license
• Interest in developing into a lead or foreman role

What We Value

• Show up ready to work
• Treat teammates and clients respectfully
• Take pride in finishing work correctly
• Ask questions when instructions are unclear
• Care for tools, vehicles, plants, and materials
• Are willing to help wherever the crew needs support
• Want steady work and room to grow

Compensation and Benefits

• Hourly pay of $25.00–$35.00+, based on experience and demonstrated skills
• Biweekly payroll
• Overtime opportunities
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave
• Safety, technical, and equipment training
• Access to company vehicles for work assignments
• Company-provided phone or tablet when required for the role

Growth Opportunities

Crew members can build experience in:

• Landscape maintenance
• Plant care and installation
• Irrigation
• Drainage
• Carpentry
• Masonry
• Concrete
• Hardscape installation
• Equipment operation
• Crew leadership

Employees who demonstrate reliability, good judgment, and technical growth may have opportunities to move into more advanced construction, lead, or foreman responsibilities.

About Madroño Landscape Design Studio

Madroño Landscape Design Studio designs, builds, and maintains residential and select commercial landscapes throughout San Francisco and the Peninsula. Our work includes gardens, decks, fences, patios, retaining elements, drainage, irrigation, lighting, planting, and ongoing landscape care. Projects often require our crews to combine practical construction skills with an understanding of plants and outdoor spaces.

We are a small, established company with a strong project backlog and a team that values good work, direct communication, and long-term employment. Many employees have stayed with the company for more than seven years. If you take pride in your work, enjoy being part of a dependable team, and want to build a long-term career in landscaping, we invite you to apply and join the Madroño team.

Madroño Landscape Design Studio diseña, construye y mantiene jardines residenciales y algunos espacios comerciales en San Francisco y la Península. Nuestro trabajo incluye jardines, terrazas, cercas, patios, muros de contención, sistemas de drenaje, riego, iluminación, plantación y mantenimiento continuo de áreas verdes. Los proyectos suelen requerir que nuestros equipos combinen habilidades prácticas de construcción con conocimientos sobre plantas y espacios exteriores.

Somos una empresa pequeña y consolidada, con una sólida cartera de proyectos y un equipo que valora el trabajo bien hecho, la comunicación directa y el empleo a largo plazo. Muchos de nuestros empleados llevan más de siete años con la empresa. Si se enorgullece de su trabajo, disfruta formar parte de un equipo confiable y desea desarrollar una carrera a largo plazo en paisajismo, lo invitamos a postularse y unirse al equipo de Madroño.

Madroño Landscape Design Studio is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are based on job-related qualifications and business needs without regard to any status protected by applicable law.