How to become a First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Official title: First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Also called: Field Manager, Golf Course Superintendent, Grounds Crew Supervisor, Grounds Foreman, Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Grounds Manager, Grounds Supervisor, Groundskeeper Supervisor, Landscape Manager, Landscape Supervisor
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities. Work may involve reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and workforce requirements; answering inquiries from potential customers regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.
Main tasks
- Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety.
- Schedule work for crews, depending on work priorities, crew or equipment availability, or weather conditions.
- Tour grounds, such as parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, or golf courses, to inspect conditions of plants and soil.
- Monitor project activities to ensure that instructions are followed, deadlines are met, and schedules are maintained.
- Direct activities of workers who perform duties, such as landscaping, cultivating lawns, or pruning trees and shrubs.
- Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications, standards, and contract requirements.
- Plant or maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, or pruning.
- Direct or perform mixing or application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
How to become one
Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $58,430 a year The middle half earn $47,390 to $72,590.
- About 243,300 people work in this job now, and about 253,000 are projected by 2035. (+4%)
- People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
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Questions people ask
How much does a First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $58,430 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,390 to $72,590.
Is a First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers a growing career in the US?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 243,300 to about 253,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers?
Usually not. Only 19% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Will AI change the work of a First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers?
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.