Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

What Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers Do

Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Workers typically perform a variety of tasks, which may include any combination of the following: sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation, and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

19.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• English Languageimportance 3.4/5
• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.2/5
• Chemistryimportance 3.0/5
• Mechanicalimportance 2.9/5
• Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.8/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.7/5
• Biologyimportance 2.6/5
• Mathematicsimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
• Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.7/5
• Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.7/5
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.5/5
• Exposed to Hazardous Equipment4.5/5
• Spend Time Standing4.3/5

Related Careers

• Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
• Tree Trimmers and Pruners
• Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
• First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
• Agricultural Equipment Operators
• Highway Maintenance Workers
• Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Motorboat Operators97% skill match
• Floor Sanders and Finishers96% skill match
• Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders96% skill match
• Highway Maintenance Workers95% skill match
• Sailors and Marine Oilers95% skill match
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders95% skill match
• Power Plant Operators95% skill match
• Forest and Conservation Workers95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
• Coordinationimportance 2.8/5
• Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
• Time Managementimportance 2.6/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.5/5
• Service Orientationimportance 2.5/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.5/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.3/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Perseverance
• Cautiousness
• Integrity
• Cooperation
• Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• ArtisticLow
• EnterprisingLow
• InvestigativeLow
• SocialLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where landscaping and groundskeeping workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Naples-Marco Island, FL4.33× national avg
2. 2Barnstable Town, MA3.83× national avg
3. 3Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL3.20× national avg
4. 4Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC3.09× national avg
5. 5Kahului-Wailuku, HI2.89× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Tree Trimmers and PrunersLateral Move
• Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and GreenhouseCareer Change
• Highway Maintenance WorkersCareer Change
• Roustabouts, Oil and GasCareer Change

See the full career path from Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.