Indiana
How much does it cost to hire your first landscaping employee in Indiana?
Short answer: a full-time landscaping hire in Indiana paid $20.33 an hour costs $47,347.56 a year in this worked example, or $22.76 per paid hour. That uses the official BLS national mean wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers, 2026 federal tax rates, Indiana’s typical new-employer SUTA, the ICRB class 0042 advisory rate, and public Gusto Simple pricing. Seasonal schedules are often shorter; rerun the math for the hours you will actually pay.
Key takeaways
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national table May 2025 mean hourly wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers is $20.33 (median $18.82; annual mean $42,290).
- Indiana SUTA is typically 2.50% on the first $9,500 ($237.50), per the Indiana DWD rate computation page.
- ICRB class 0042 carries an advisory rate of $2.097 per $100 of payroll and an $821 minimum. In this full-time example the computed premium of $886.75 is above the minimum.
On this page
Open the Indiana landscaping calculator Prefills $20.33 an hour, 40 hours, Indiana, and landscaping, with the ICRB minimum-premium option on.
Open the calculator with these figuresWage used in this example
The official national mean hourly wage for landscaping and groundskeeping workers is $20.33 in the BLS OEWS May 2025 national table May 2025 table, with a median of $18.82 and an annual mean of $42,290. This page uses the mean hourly figure because it is the official hourly number: $20.33 × 2,080 = $42,286.40, just $3.60 under the published annual mean because of rounding. Indiana pay can be different, especially between metro and rural work, or between a year-round crew and a summer-only hire.
Worked Indiana example, 40 hours a week
| Line (one year, 2,080 hours) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages at $20.33/hour (BLS May 2025 mean, landscaping and groundskeeping workers) | $42,286.40 |
| Employer Social Security, 6.2% | $2,621.76 |
| Employer Medicare, 1.45% | $613.15 |
| FUTA, net 0.6% on first $7,000 | $42.00 |
| Indiana SUTA, typical new-employer 2.50% on first $9,500 | $237.50 |
| Workers’ comp, ICRB class 0042 advisory rate $2.097 per $100 | $886.75 |
| Payroll software (Gusto Simple public price, 1 person) | $660.00 |
| Estimated annual cost | $47,347.56 |
| Per paid hour | $22.76 |
Class 0042 (landscape gardening) has a higher advisory rate than plumbing or electrical work on the same ICRB / NCCI advisory rates effective January 1, 2026 filing, which is why workers’ comp is a bigger line here than on our Indiana plumber-helper page. The $821 minimum would matter more on a short seasonal payroll; at these full-time wages the computed premium already clears it. Advisory rates are not a binder. The Board’s Who Is Eligible page says most businesses must have coverage and that an employee is covered from the first day on the job.
Seasonal hours
Many landscaping businesses do not pay 2,080 hours. If you hire someone for 25 hours a week over the same 52 weeks, wages fall to $26,429.00, employer FICA falls with them, and SUTA stays $237.50 once wages pass $9,500. Workers’ comp would be computed on the lower payroll and then compared with the $821 minimum. Run that schedule in the calculator before you decide between a seasonal helper and a year-round hire. State registrations are the same as for any other first Indiana employee; see Indiana first-employee registrations.
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Try a seasonal schedule Same Indiana landscaping defaults. Change weekly hours to match your season.
Open the calculator with these figuresFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a first landscaping employee in Indiana?
Using the BLS May 2025 national mean hourly wage of $20.33 for landscaping and groundskeeping workers, a full-time Indiana hire costs $42,286.40 in wages, $3,234.91 in employer FICA, $42 in net FUTA, $237.50 in typical new-employer Indiana SUTA, $886.75 in workers' comp at the ICRB class 0042 advisory rate, and $660 of payroll software, for a total of $47,347.56, or $22.76 per paid hour. Seasonal hours and local pay will change the result.
What workers' comp class applies to Indiana landscaping?
Landscape gardening is commonly classified under NCCI class 0042. The ICRB advisory filing effective January 1, 2026 lists $2.097 per $100 of payroll and a $821 minimum premium. In this full-time example the computed premium is $886.75, which is above the minimum, so the rate applies. Confirm the class and get a binder from a carrier.
How do seasonal hours change the cost?
Wages and FICA scale with hours. Indiana SUTA still applies only to the first $9,500 of wages, and the workers' comp minimum premium may still apply if payroll for the year is low. Run a shorter season, such as 25 hours a week, in the calculator before you hire.
Federal figures were checked against 2026 IRS Publication 15 and the linked official pages in November 2026. Rows marked hypothetical are examples only. State rules and rates vary; confirm with your state agencies, an insurance agent, and your accountant before you hire.