As the summer winds down and grass growth begins to slow, lawn care pros are starting to crunch their numbers to plan what the off-season is going to look like.
With lawn care season entering its final stretch in some regions and Labor Day around the corner, LawnStarter looked at How Lawn Care Pros Make Seasonal Income Last All Year Long.
| Key Insights |
|---|
| ● Regions with longer lawn care seasons don’t necessarily have the best salaries for lawn care pros. Average annual salaries for landscapers range from $33,520 in Mississippi to $51,200 in Washington, D.C. (Bureau of Labor Statistics). ● While many additional services offer higher pay than lawn care, including tree work, hardscaping, and outdoor lighting, this reflects the higher skill and equipment investment needed for these services. ● The biggest advice for seasonal pros, from fellow pros: Avoid taking on loans. |
Read advice from real lawn care pros from across the U.S. — including Shane Fellers (Green Earth Lawn and Snow, Detroit), Anthony Turner (Turner’s Lawn Care Solutions, Northwest Georgia), and Glenn Staub (GS Lawn Care, Tampa) — who weigh in on budgeting, off-season gigs, and the services that are and aren’t worth chasing below.
Note: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide legal, tax, or accounting advice.
Contents
- Lawn Care Season Length and Pay by State
- How to Make a Seasonal Budget Work for the Year
- 10 Services to Consider for the Off-Season
- Make the Most of Your Time Off
- Ask the Pros: Surviving the Off-Season
- Make Seasonal Income Work for You
Lawn Care Season Length and Pay by State
Across most of the U.S., the typical mowing season is compacted into about 6-8 months, peaking in July.
Monthly Mow Volume (2025)
However, lawn care workers in the South and along the Pacific Coast get a few extra months of lawn care work before the grass stops growing.
Mowing Season Length by State (2025)
How Wages Differ by Location
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers in 2025 was $42,290 — or $20.33 per hour. But where you live impacts overall lawn care costs and influences your salary.
For comparison:
➣ Florida is one of the best states for folks looking to do lawn care work all year long, but the annual mean wage is $39,110 or $18.80 per hour — 7.5% below the national mean.
➣ North Dakota has a short season with intense winters, but BLS reports a mean annual wage of $43,750 or $21.04 per hour for landscapers and groundskeepers — 3.5% above the national mean.
How to Make a Seasonal Budget Work for the Year
Earning $33,520 (Mississippi) to $51,200 (Washington, D.C.) within about 6-8 months sounds great until you need to figure out how to stretch it across 12 months.
Map Your Cash Flow
Track your
- Monthly revenue: Pull at least 12 months of past invoices or bank deposits and plot them by month.
- Operating expenses: Gas, equipment, loan payments, worker salaries (including your own), insurance, software/subscriptions, and any other business expenses like payroll, workers’ comp, and paying CPAs.
Pay Yourself and Resist Spending Surplus
Treat yourself like an employee and allocate a fixed monthly salary to avoid overspending during peak months and keep financial management simple throughout the year.
“The biggest thing is not treating every dollar in the business account as available spending money,” says Anthony Turner of Turner’s Lawn Care Solutions LLC in Northwest Georgia. “During the busy season, set money aside for taxes, build a winter cash reserve, and keep owner draws controlled.”
In the U.S., the average small business can only survive about 27 days without cash inflow before their savings dry up, according to JPMorgan Chase Institute (2015 data). Managing seasonal revenue requires proactive cash flow planning before peak season begins.
Build a Winter Cash Reserve
Financial experts recommend keeping 3 to 6 months of operating expenses in reserve. For lawn care pros, map out a timeline for when your work typically starts up in the spring and when it tapers down in the fall, and make a plan to save what you need for your business and yourself during that winter gap.
Avoid Equipment Loans and High Debt
“Being in debt” is the biggest financial mistake some pros make, according to Shane Fellers, owner of Green Earth Lawn and Snow LLC in Detroit.
“Having to make payments during the off-season on equipment or trucks… I’ve learned it’s better just to save up and just buy what you need. It’s better than having to make payments when you’re not generating as much income.”
Turner agrees: “It is easy to add equipment payments, vehicles, and subscriptions when the schedule is full, but those payments are still due when the grass slows down.”
The Fed’s 2025 Small Business Credit Survey found that nearly 40% of small businesses in the U.S. have over $100,000 in debt. Financing new equipment or trucks during peak mowing season can leave you strapped for cash in the wintertime, when you’re least able to make payments.
If financing is unavoidable, know the terms before you sign. Small Business Administration (SBA) microloans cap out at $50,000 and generally carry interest rates between 8% and 13%, with a max 6-year repayment term. Compare this against financing offers from dealers and retailers before committing.
Don’t Forget About Taxes
Set aside quarterly estimated tax payments and mark them down in your calendar.
Save 25%–30% of net profit in a separate account as it comes in, so tax season doesn’t eat into your winter reserve.
Find Spots to Save
Save on gas prices next season by optimizing your route, upgrading to electric equipment (if it fits in your budget — some localities still offer rebates), and using fuel-saving promotions (cards and apps).
Buy equipment when it’s on sale and take advantage of industry discounts like contractor pricing programs or the MyLowe’s Pro Rewards Program. Search for state and federal incentives on electric equipment with the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. Your county or city may have additional rebates available.
10 Services to Consider for the Off-Season
Side gigs don’t have to just get you through the winter season. With the right equipment, training, and, in some cases, certifications, these jobs can expand your service offerings to homeowners throughout the year.
Off-season gigs can also help with customer retention: Keeping your customers engaged and happy with your non-mowing services ensures they’ll continue to book you for the upcoming lawn care season.
Before jumping into additional services, make sure they make sense for you and your business.
“Leaf cleanups, shrub trimming, mulch, pine straw, and smaller property cleanups fit well because they use equipment and skills we already have,” Turner says.
For Glenn Staub of GS Lawn Care in Tampa, basic property upkeep — such as shrub trimming, mulching, and property cleanups — provides a steady stream of extra revenue: “Leaf removal is a big one around here also. With the trees shedding their leaves, gutter cleaning is definitely needed — especially in the spring before grass starts growing again.”
“What usually does not work is chasing heavily discounted one-time jobs or adding services outside the company’s normal scope simply to stay busy,” Turner says. “Revenue is not useful if the job is not profitable.”
Note: We listed the equipment needed for each job below, apart from items standard for a basic lawn care kit — truck, trailer, and personal protective equipment. We also noted if there are special licenses or insurance required beyond having a standard lawn care license and general liability insurance.
Make the Most of Your Time Off
Some pros who successfully budget their seasonal income decide to just enjoy the time off from work, or do a few gigs here and there to get through the winter.
“During the off season I do maintenance on my equipment,” Fellers says. “I do snow removal when the snow falls, and I just enjoy the time off.”
Even if you’re not making money, winter downtime doesn’t have to be unproductive. Here’s how some pros spend their time off:
Build a Business Plan for Next Year
Refine pricing structures and map out equipment upgrades before the spring rush. Retailers typically discount mowers and other yard equipment by 20% to 50% between October and February to clear inventory and make room for next year’s new models.
"Use the slower months to review pricing, tighten routes, and improve [your] operating systems,” Turner says.
Level Up With a Certification
Winter downtime allows you the time to pursue credentials that can help market your business, raise your rates, and win larger jobs the following season:
- NALP Landscape Technician Certification
- Landscape for Life Sustainable Landscape Practitioner Certificate
- Irrigation Association Certifications
- State Pesticide Applicator License
- OSHA 10-Hour or 30-Hour Outreach Training (general workplace safety)
- CPR/First Aid Certification
Catch Up on Equipment Maintenance
Perform maintenance on mowers, trimmers, and other handheld tools. Sharpen blades, change oil, and replace worn belts so you don’t have to worry about it when the lawn care season fires up again.
Refresh Your Marketing
Take the time to make a business marketing plan. Update your website, revamp your social media presence, and keep in touch with past customers over the holiday season.
Explore alternative marketing strategies like mailers and newsletters and advertising in print, digital, billboards, or your local radio station. You can table at local events or wrap your truck and turn it into a mobile billboard, advertising your business everywhere you go.
Actually Take Time Off
Take a break; you’ve earned it. Enjoy time with your family and friends and treat yourself to some rest and relaxation. You’ll come back into spring less burned out and ready to mow.
Ask the Pros: Surviving the Off-Season
About 1.3 million grounds-maintenance employees in the U.S. make their seasonal jobs work for them. We turned to a panel of lawn care pros to learn more about their business strategies for surviving the off-season.
Pro Tip: For crews operating in markets with extended lawn care seasons, “Put down winter rye seed,” says Staub. “It germinates fast and creates a lush green lawn quickly, protecting the grass that is there now from the frost.
“It will need to be mowed at least two times a month [through the winter], keeping our customers on their current schedule. On the first warm day of spring the rye will die off, and you still have your lawn that you worked all summer long to get healthy.”
Read their full insights and tips below.
- What do you do when the lawn care season wraps up — any off-season gigs that have worked well for you?
- How do you manage your budget during the peak lawn care season to make it stretch into the winter season?
- What’s the biggest financial mistake you see other lawn pros make with seasonal cash flow?
- What off-season services have actually worked for you, and what didn’t?
- Roughly what percentage of your annual revenue comes from your slowest month vs. your peak month?
Make Seasonal Income Work for You
Whether you're in Florida mowing nearly year-round or in North Dakota packing up for a 5-month winter, the math is the same: The money you make between spring and fall has to cover 12 months of bills.
The pros who make that work aren't necessarily the ones earning the most per hour — they're the ones who budget like their income is seasonal, because it is. Whether that means building a cash reserve, picking up a certification, or adding one or two off-season services from the list above, a little planning now pays off when the mowers go quiet.
Explore More Ways to Grow With LawnStarter and ProBase
Through the LawnStarter app, local customers can schedule your crew for lawn mowing, plus 30 additional outdoor services, including tree trimming, leaf cleanups, and pest control.
It’s free to sign up to become a LawnStarter pro. You own your business, and we help connect you with homeowners looking for help.
Check out our lawn care business guides, hear from LawnStarter pros, and learn more about joining LawnStarter below:
- 10 Ways to Grow Your Lawn Care Business Fast
- What It Takes to Become a LawnStarter Pro
- One Man and a Truck: The Truth About Running a Solo Lawn Care Operation
- Willie Carmichael: Lawn Care is a Family Business
- Why LawnStarter Pros Are Independent Contractors — and Why That’s Good
LawnStarter also recently launched free business software for lawn care and pool service professionals: ProBase. This tool provides scheduling, invoicing, drive-time optimization, and optional opportunities for customer acquisition. No subscription, no hidden features, no more nights lost to admin.
Main Photo Credit: Images by anetlanda, librakv, dannyburn, and Janis Smits via Adobe Stock (License) modified by Sav Maive (text added)
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