How much does a landscaping and snow removal earn in Ontario?

Roughly $32,000 in the first years and $70,000 by year five (Ontario median, before tax). Estimate from the sources on the data page; partly verified.

How long does it take?

No formal credential, with a first real paycheque in about 3 months.

What does it cost and how much debt is typical?

About $0 in startup cost plus roughly $8,000 of startup capital, and usually no debt.

Start something

Landscaping and snow removal

Registered business

Numbers for 33 of 52 pathways verified, the rest partly · How we verify

Years to credential0

First real paycheque~3 months

Time in a classroom0%

Total cost$0

Typical debt after$0

Demand in OntarioHigh

The first ten years

schoolearnearnearnearnearnearnearnearnearn

Mostly in schoolEarning

Earnings by year, roughly

Ontario median before tax. Overtime, location and specialisation change this a lot. Net by year 10 after program cost: $607k, low to high $184k to $699k.

What's in "net by year 10"

Earnings, years 1 to 10	$615k	$32,000 rising to $70,000 by year five, flat after
Program cost	−$0k	tuition and fees; startup capital −$8k
Typical (medians)	$607k	the number on the card
Low to high	$184k to $699k	pay 15% under or over the median, cost 15% more or 10% less; low assumes the business closes at the 35% survival point

Not counted: income tax, rent, food, loan interest, inflation, and unemployment gaps. They apply to every route, so they change the size of each number more than the order. Pay is the Ontario median before tax from the sources on this page.

Startup capital$8,000

Months to break even4

Still operating at 5 yrs~35%

The picture

What you need firstA truck or trailer and a mower. Snow contracts fund the winter.

What the day-to-day isMowing, cleanups and installs from April to November; plowing overnight in winter. Long summer days.

What actually stops peopleEquipment costs and the first two seasons of building a route.

The downsideWeather decides your income. Snow contracts carry real liability if someone slips.

If you're the parentSteady suburban demand and a natural path into a real company with crews. Needs a vehicle and insurance, and income swings with the seasons.

Local opportunities in Ontario

Ready to explore this for real?

Eight quick questions about whether this route fits your life, not just your grades. You'll get a readiness check, and if you want, we'll introduce you to employers, unions or programs in your region.

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How to enter

What you need

No specific courses or average; Grade 12 (or equivalent) and a willingness to show up

Deadlines in Ontario

No deadline; register the business name online in a day, HST number when sales pass $30,000

Next steps

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◐ Partly verified Five-year survival: StatCan 11F0019M no. 407 (fewer than 30% of unincorporated self-employed entrants survive five years; about 50% for incorporated owners); ISED Key Small Business Statistics 2025 (63% for firms starting with 1–4 employees, 68% all employer firms). The figure shown assumes a solo start. Year-1 income: Job Bank grounds maintenance, Ontario median $20/hr, seasonal (Nov 2025). Startup capital, break-even and owner income are estimates: no published Canadian source for owner income

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