Grounds maintenance workers held about 1.3 million jobs in 2018. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up grounds maintenance workers was distributed as follows:
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 1,205,200 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners | 55,600 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | 35,700 |
| Grounds maintenance workers, all other | 17,700 |
The largest employers of grounds maintenance workers were as follows:
| Services to buildings and dwellings | 45% |
| Self-employed workers | 22 |
| Government | 8 |
| Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries | 7 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 3 |
Grounds maintenance work is done outdoors in all kinds of weather. The work can be repetitive and physically demanding, requiring frequent bending, lifting, and shoveling.
Injuries and Illnesses
Grounds maintenance work can be dangerous. Workers who use equipment such as lawnmowers and chain saws must wear protective clothing, eyewear, and earplugs. Those who apply chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizers must wear protective gear, including appropriate clothing, gloves, goggles, and sometimes respirators.
Tree trimmers and pruners and "grounds maintenance workers, all other" have some of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations.
And although fatalities are uncommon, tree trimmers and pruners experience one of the highest rates of occupational fatalities of all occupations. These workers, who often work at great heights, must always use fall protection gear in addition to wearing hardhats and eye protection for most activities.
Work Schedules
Many grounds maintenance jobs are seasonal. Jobs are most common in the spring, summer, and fall, when planting, mowing, and trimming are most frequent. However, many also provide other seasonal services, such as snow removal and installation and removal of holiday décor.
Most grounds maintenance workers need no formal education and are trained on the job. Most states require licensing for workers who apply pesticides and fertilizers.
Education
Although most grounds maintenance jobs have no education requirements, some employers may require formal education or certification in areas such as landscape design, horticulture, or arboriculture.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Most states require workers who apply pesticides and fertilizers to be licensed. Obtaining a license usually involves passing a test on the proper use and disposal of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides.
Although professional certification is not required, it can demonstrate competency and reliability for prospective clients and employers.
The National Association of Landscape Professionals offers seven certifications in landscaping and grounds maintenance for workers at various experience levels.
The Tree Care Industry Association offers certification for tree care safety professionals.
The International Society of Arboriculture offers six certifications for workers at various experience levels.
The Professional Grounds Management Society offers certification for workers at various experience levels.
Training
A short period of on-the-job training is usually enough to teach new hires the skills they need, which often include how to plant and maintain areas and how to use mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, small tractors, and other equipment. Large institutional employers such as golf courses, university campuses, or municipalities may supplement on-the-job training with coursework in horticulture, arboriculture, urban forestry, insect and disease diagnosis, tree climbing, or small-engine repair.
Advancement
Grounds maintenance workers who have good communication skills may become crew leaders or advance into other supervisory positions. Becoming a manager or a landscape contractor may require some formal education and several years of related work experience. Some workers use their experience to start their own landscaping companies.
Grounds maintenance workers typically have an interest in the Building and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a grounds maintenance worker, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Grounds maintenance workers should also possess the following specific qualities:
Physical stamina . Grounds maintenance workers must be capable of doing physically strenuous labor for long hours, occasionally in extreme heat or cold.
Self-motivated . Because they often work with little supervision, grounds maintenance workers must be able to do their job independently
The median hourly wage for grounds maintenance workers was $14.85 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $10.53, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $23.18.
Median hourly wages for grounds maintenance workers in May 2019 were as follows:
| Tree trimmers and pruners | $19.22 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | 17.23 |
| Grounds maintenance workers, all other | 15.43 |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 14.63 |
In May 2019, the median hourly wages for grounds maintenance workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Educational services; state, local, and private | $16.39 |
| Government | 15.10 |
| Services to buildings and dwellings | 15.09 |
| Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries | 12.84 |
Many grounds maintenance jobs are seasonal. Jobs are most common in the spring, summer, and fall, when planting, mowing, and trimming are most frequent. However, many also provide other seasonal services, such as snow removal and installation and removal of holiday décor.
Overall employment of grounds maintenance workers is projected to grow 9 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth will vary by specialty.
Employment of landscaping and groundskeeping workers—the largest specialty—is projected to grow 9 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. More workers will be needed to keep up with increasing demand for lawn care and landscaping services from aging or busy homeowners and large institutions, such as universities and corporate campuses. The growing popularity of outdoor kitchen and living areas should also increase demand for the services these workers provide.
Employment of tree trimmers and pruners is projected to grow 10 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. Many municipalities are planting more trees in urban areas, likely increasing the demand for these workers.
Job Prospects
Overall job opportunities are expected to be very good. Job opportunities will stem from employment growth and from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation each year.
Job opportunities should be best in areas with temperate climates, where more landscaping services are required year round.
For more information about tree trimmers and pruners, including certification, visit
International Society of Arboriculture
Tree Care Industry Association
For information about landscaping and groundskeeping workers, visit
National Association of Landscape Professionals
Professional Grounds Management Society
For information about becoming a licensed pesticide applicator, contact your state’s licensing official.