- Utah's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing issues a S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor specialty contractor license that covers grading land and planting gardens, lawns, shrubs and trees.
- A 25 hour pre-licensure course for specialty contractors, from an approved provider.
- Pay runs from about $15.45 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of landscapers to $27.49 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 35.2% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.6% projected nationally.
The path in Utah, step by step
Utah licenses landscaping work at the state level through the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Complete the 25 hour pre-licensure course.
- Register your business entity and get a federal EIN.
- Get general liability and workers' compensation insurance naming DOPL.
- Apply to DOPL for the S330 classification.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: landscaping and irrigation license in Utah.
Finding an apprenticeship in Utah
Utah has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Utah Apprenticeship Office as the contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. Grounds maintenance work is learned on the job, usually in 1 month or less. Pesticide sprayers, handlers and applicators may need more training, up to 1 year.
License levels and exams in Utah
The license to aim for: S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor.
Coming from another state. Contractors licensed in another state may qualify for a Utah license by endorsement.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| S330 | Grading and preparing land, and planting gardens, lawns, shrubs, vines and trees. |
What landscapers earn in Utah
The median landscaper in Utah earned $19.59 an hour in May 2025, 22nd of 51 states, with 12,850 on payrolls. The national median was $18.82.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of landscapers in Utah earned under $17.91 an hour and a tenth under $15.45. At the top, a quarter earned over $22.51 and a tenth over $27.49.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.45 | $32,140 |
| 25th percentile | $17.91 | $37,260 |
| Median | $19.59 | $40,740 |
| 75th percentile | $22.51 | $46,810 |
| 90th percentile | $27.49 | $57,180 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: landscaper salary in Utah.
Jobs ahead in Utah
Utah's labor market office projects jobs for landscapers growing from 14,560 in 2022 to 19,690 in 2032, a change of 35.2%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 2,700 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 35.2% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 3.6% projected nationally, ranking 1st of the 50 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
Starting your own landscaper business in Utah
To contract on your own in Utah, the license is the S330 Landscape and Recreation Contractor.
Insurance. General liability of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 total, with DOPL as certificate holder, plus workers' compensation.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Utah median of $19.59 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $104.99 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start a landscaping business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Utah's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Specialty contractor license (checked 2026-10-09)
- R156-55a, construction trades licensing rule (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3011
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Grounds Maintenance Workers (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a landscaper.