Since many people don't stay up to date with other fields and industries, let me catch you up to speed on mine. As we all know it's 2025, it's not 2015, 2010, or 2005 anymore. People pay upwards of $20 to go to Chick-Fil-A or Portillos for lunch (just for two people)! I agree that things are getting expensive but if everything is heading in the same direction what difference does it make? Last year lawn mowing prices in Chicagoland (60174) ranged from $43-229 (Greenberg). This sounds very steep but once you look around it starts to make sense. The amount of people getting a $25/30 lawn cut are comparable to the amount of people paying less than a few thousand per year to attend university. What I'm trying to say is: they do exist but they're few and far between! Commercial mowers, trailers, and trucks each cost thousands of dollars. The hand tools we use, which get lost or break every six to twelve months, cost anywhere from fifty dollars to a few hundred dollars. As a business owner this is just the tip of the iceberg. The other expenses that customers don't see are our advertising, rent, fuel, wages, insurance, rent, and maintenance costs. 

In 2024, employers across the nation gave a 4% raise to workers on average across the nation (Sherter). Over the years employees learn more and become more experienced, so given these circumstances making more money sounds pretty intuitive. The landscape industry boomed in 2020 when people shifted from the typical 9-5 schedule and being working fully remote. In 2024 the average landscaper in Illinois earned $18 per hour (ZipRecruiter). With the number of buyers increasing so did prices. This allows companies to offer better pay, benefits, and nicer equipment. I personally know plenty of other local landscaper laborers (not business owners) who make anywhere between $25-$50 an hour. So, although people still working for low pay there are also people that are well off and living better than people think.

Even though the green industry isn't always viewed in the best way, there's a more of a chance to make a career working at a landscape company than what most people may think. After one becomes a laborer one can move up to a crew manager. Doing so may double a laborers hourly rate if they have the right attitude, experience, and employer. Depending on the company, an employee can even move into the office side of things helping with HR, Finance, and other "white collar" jobs. I know people that are sales associates for companies that make and provide our materials and they make more money than sales associates working in other fields. 

As we know Chicagoland has a great economy. Over the last few decades, people have had more money and less time. So, the landscape industry was born saving people time and energy. A big part of the landscape industry's beginnings started right here in Chicagoland. I learned this at a Unilock seminar. For those of you that don't know, Unilock is a brick manufacture across the nation (and even globally). They began about 40 years ago as a small business, just like Procare. Quickly they had a surge in demand for outdoor living spaces and their brick paver products. Since then they've moved away from installing and primarily shifted their focus on selling goods. If you have an older patio or walkway you probably have Unilock pavers. Now, more companies are also selling pavers and growing their product range, so there are more options for brick paver styles and colors. This is exciting because there are more options than ever! As the industry continues to evolve, so will Procare.

Works Cited

Greenberg, Elisa. “Lawn Care Cost [2024 Data].” Angi’s List, Angi, 10 Feb. 2025, www.angi.com/articles/lawn-care-cost.htm.

“Landscaper Salary in Illinois: Hourly Rate (January, 2025).” ZipRecruiter, ZipRecruiter Inc., 5 Jan. 2025, www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Landscaper-Salary--in-Illinois.

Sherter, Alain. “Here’s the Average Pay Raise Employees Can Expect in 2024.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 8 Dec. 2023, www.cbsnews.com/news/pay-raise-salary-increase-2024/.