Grounds Maintenance Workers

How to become a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker

Official title: Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

Also called: Athletic Fieldskeeper, Greenskeeper, Grounds Maintenance Worker, Grounds Specialist, Groundskeeper, Groundsman, Landscape Specialist, Landscape Technician (Landscape Tech), Landscaper, Outside Maintenance Worker

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.

Main tasks

Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
Gather and remove litter.
Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.

How to become one

Grounds maintenance workers typically do not need a formal educational credential and are trained on the job. States may require licensing for workers who apply pesticides and fertilizers.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Landscape Gardener.
Apprenticeship: Landscape Management Technician.
Apprenticeship: Landscape Technician.
Licence: A licence is required in 8 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $39,150 a year The middle half earn $36,190 to $46,830.
About 1,188,600 people work in this job now, and about 1,244,200 are projected by 2035. (+4.7%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker?

Grounds maintenance workers typically do not need a formal educational credential and are trained on the job. States may require licensing for workers who apply pesticides and fertilizers.

How much does a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $39,150 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $36,190 to $46,830.

Is a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 1,188,600 to about 1,244,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker?

Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Landscape Gardener.

Will AI change the work of a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker?

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 Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, 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.