Careers
>Architecture & Construction
>Maintenance/Operations
>Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
Experience
Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
Education
Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
Examples
These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include food preparation workers, dishwashers, sewing machine operators, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, and baristas.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $22K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $27K
Median Salary: $31K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $38K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $48K
Demand
Core Tasks
Gather and remove litter.
Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.
Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste.
Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, burial sites, or other grounds features.
Shovel snow from walks, driveways, or parking lots, and spread salt in those areas.
Maintain irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring.
Care for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls.
Follow planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage.
Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens.
Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.
Attach wires from planted trees to support stakes.
Plant seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees, or shrubs, and apply mulch for protection, using gardening tools.
Maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches, using hand or power tools.
Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
Rake, mulch, and compost leaves.
Care for artificial turf fields, periodically removing the turf and replacing cushioning pads or vacuuming and disinfecting the turf after use to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Decorate gardens with stones or plants.
Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment.
Care for natural turf fields, making sure the underlying soil has the required composition to allow proper drainage and to support the grasses.
Advise customers on plant selection or care.
Haul or spread topsoil, or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place.
Mark design boundaries, and paint natural or artificial turf fields with team logos or names before events.
Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
English Language
68%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service
65%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Chemistry
60%
Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Mechanical
59%
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Public Safety and Security
55%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Administration and Management
54%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Biology
52%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Mathematics
51%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Design
47%
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Transportation
46%
Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Top 10 Skills
Operation and Control
63%
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking
58%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking
58%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
55%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination
55%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Operations Monitoring
55%
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Time Management
53%
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Judgment and Decision Making
50%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
50%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Service Orientation
50%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Top 10 Abilities
Multilimb Coordination
73%
The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Manual Dexterity
68%
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Trunk Strength
65%
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
63%
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Control Precision
63%
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Extent Flexibility
63%
The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Static Strength
63%
The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Near Vision
60%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Problem Sensitivity
60%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Stamina
60%
The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Top 10 Work Activities
Handling and Moving Objects
78%
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Controlling Machines and Processes
76%
Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
73%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Performing General Physical Activities
73%
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Getting Information
72%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
71%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
69%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
69%
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
69%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
69%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Detailed Work Activities
Dispose of trash or waste materials.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
Irrigate lawns, trees, or plants.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Prepare chemicals for work application.
Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
Cultivate lawns, turf, or gardens.
Evaluate reports or designs to determine work needs.
Clean facilities or sites.
Install equipment to protect or support trees.
Plant greenery to improve landscape appearance.
Remove debris from work sites.
Decorate indoor or outdoor spaces.
Remove snow.
Maintain equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
Install fencing or other barriers.
Provide information about landscaping services or costs.
Install masonry materials.
Build construction forms or molds.
Work Context
Outdoors, Exposed to Weather
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Realistic
100%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Conventional
62%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Artistic
43%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Investigative
43%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising
39%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social
19%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
84%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail
83%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
79%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self Control
79%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Dependability
78%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Achievement/Effort
77%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Concern for Others
77%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility
76%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance
74%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Initiative
73%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Work Values
Relationships
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
39%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
29%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
