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Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Usually requires specific training and state or federal certification.
Ability to work at heights. Tree trimmers and pruners and other grounds maintenance workers must be comfortable working high off the ground when cutting tree limbs and branches.
Communication skills. Grounds maintenance workers must be able to convey information and instructions to clients, customers, and supervisors.
Dexterity. Grounds maintenance workers must have good eye, foot, and hand coordination when using dangerous or heavy equipment such as backhoes, mowers, and tractors.
Physical stamina. Grounds maintenance workers must be able to do strenuous labor for long periods of time, occasionally in extreme heat or cold.
Physical strength. These workers may need to be able to lift heavy equipment or supplies.
Self-motivated. Because they often work with little supervision, grounds maintenance workers must be able to do their tasks independently.
Visualization. Grounds maintenance workers must be able to imagine how plants, shrubs, trees, and other landscaping will look before planting or trimming.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
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79% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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76% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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75% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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73% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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73% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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69% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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66% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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66% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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66% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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65% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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64% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
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63% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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63% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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59% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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54% | Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. | |
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53% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
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95% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
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78% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
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63% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). | |
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60% | Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. | |
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60% | Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. | |
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56% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. | |
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56% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. | |
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56% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. | |
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56% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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53% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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53% | Multilimb Coordination - 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. | |
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53% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |
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53% | Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
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94% | Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? | |
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92% | In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? | |
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92% | 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? | |
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88% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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85% | Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? | |
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84% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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82% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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81% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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80% | 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? | |
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80% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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80% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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79% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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78% | Exposed to Hazardous Conditions - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions? | |
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75% | Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? | |
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72% | Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings - How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings? | |
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71% | Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? | |
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70% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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67% | 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? | |
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66% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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65% | 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? | |
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65% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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65% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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63% | Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment? | |
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61% | Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions? | |
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59% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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57% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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55% | Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running? | |
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55% | Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)? | |
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54% | Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job? | |
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53% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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51% | Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements? | |
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68% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
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83% | Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. | |
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80% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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77% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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75% | Performing General Physical Activities - 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 materials. | |
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75% | Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. | |
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75% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. | |
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75% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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74% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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72% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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69% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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67% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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66% | Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. | |
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65% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
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64% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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63% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
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62% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. | |
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62% | Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. | |
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62% | Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). | |
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60% | Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. | |
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58% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. | |
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58% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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58% | Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. | |
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56% | Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions. | |
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55% | Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. | |
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54% | Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. | |
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52% | Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. | |
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52% | Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills. |
Grounds maintenance workers install and maintain landscapes, prune trees or shrubs, and do other tasks to ensure that vegetation is attractive, orderly, and safe.
Grounds maintenance workers typically do the following:
Grounds maintenance workers do a variety of tasks to achieve pleasant and functional environments. They care for outdoor grounds of businesses, homes, parks, and other spaces and for indoor plants in hotels, malls, botanical gardens, and other commercial and public facilities. They generally work under the direction of a landscaping, lawn service, or groundskeeping supervisor.
Depending on their specific tasks, grounds maintenance workers may use a variety of handheld tools (such as such as garden shears, spray applicators, and shovels) and power equipment (including lawnmowers, chain saws, and backhoes).
The following are examples of types of grounds maintenance workers:
Landscaping workers plant flowers, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation to create new outdoor spaces or to upgrade existing ones. They also trim, fertilize, mulch, and water plants. Some grade and install lawns or construct hardscapes such as walkways, patios, and decks. Others help install lighting or sprinkler systems. Landscaping workers attend to a variety of commercial and residential settings, such as apartment buildings, homes, hotels and motels, office buildings, and shopping malls.
Groundskeeping workers, also called groundskeepers, focus on property upkeep. Their duties include maintaining plants and trees, raking and mulching leaves, and laying sod. They also care for ornamental features, such as fountains, planters, and benches; clear snow and debris from walkways and parking lots; and tend to groundskeeping equipment. They work on many of the same settings that landscaping workers do, as well as on athletic fields, cemeteries, and other lands that need maintenance.
Groundskeeping workers who care for athletic fields keep natural and artificial turf in top condition, mark boundaries, and may paint turf with team logos and names before events. They regularly mow, water, fertilize, and aerate natural fields and ensure that the underlying soil drains properly. They also vacuum and disinfect artificial turf to prevent growth of harmful bacteria and replace worn turf or cushioning periodically.
In parks and recreation facilities, groundskeepers care for lawns, trees, and shrubs. They also maintain playgrounds; clean buildings and inspect, repair, and paint them as needed; and keep parking lots, picnic areas, and other spaces free of litter. They may erect and dismantle snow fences and maintain swimming pools.
Some groundskeepers specialize in caring for cemeteries and memorial gardens. They dig graves to specified depths. They mow grass regularly, apply fertilizers and other chemicals, prune shrubs and trees, plant flowers, and remove debris from graves.
Greenskeepers maintain golf courses. Although similar overall to that of groundskeepers, their work on turf maintenance may be more complex. They also periodically relocate holes on putting greens and maintain canopies, benches, and tee markers along the course.
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators apply herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides to plants or soil to prevent or control weeds, insects, and diseases. They inspect lawns for problems and apply chemical or other treatments to stimulate growth and prevent or control threats to cultivated plants.
Tree trimmers and pruners, also called arborists, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to clear utility lines, roads, sidewalks, and other areas. Some specialize in diagnosing and treating tree diseases. Others specialize in pruning, trimming, and shaping ornamental trees and shrubs.
Grounds maintenance workers held about 1.3 million jobs in 2022. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up grounds maintenance workers was distributed as follows:
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 1,176,100 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners | 66,000 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | 23,200 |
| Grounds maintenance workers, all other | 16,300 |
The largest employers of grounds maintenance workers were as follows:
| Services to buildings and dwellings | 47% |
| Self-employed workers | 20 |
| Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries | 7 |
| Government | 7 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 3 |
Grounds maintenance work is usually done outdoors in all kinds of weather. The work may be repetitive and physically demanding, requiring frequent bending, kneeling, lifting, and shoveling.
Grounds maintenance work may 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. ("All other" titles represent occupations with a wide range of characteristics that do not fit into any of the other detailed occupations.)
Although fatalities are uncommon, tree trimmers and pruners experience one of the highest rates of fatalities of all occupations. These workers are often at great heights and must use fall protection gear and wear hardhats and goggles for most activities.
Most grounds maintenance workers are full time, and their work schedules may vary. These workers may be busier or work longer hours in the spring, summer, and fall, when planting, mowing, and trimming activities are most frequent.
Some jobs are seasonal. However, grounds maintenance workers sometimes provide other services during the winter months, such as snow removal.
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 or fertilizers.
Entry-level grounds maintenance jobs typically have no formal education requirements, although employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or equivalent. Prospective grounds maintenance workers may benefit from studying topics such as landscape design, horticulture, or arboriculture.
Most states require licensing for workers who apply pesticides. Licensing for workers who handle fertilizers varies by state. Obtaining a license usually involves passing a test on the proper use and disposal of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Check with your state’s licensing official for more information.
Although professional certification is not required, it demonstrates competency and reliability for prospective clients and employers. For example, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) offer credentials in landscaping and grounds maintenance for workers at various experience levels. The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) offer certifications for tree care workers.
Grounds maintenance workers typically need 1 month or less of on-the-job training to learn the skills they need, including how to plant and maintain areas and how to use mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, small tractors, and other equipment. Pesticide sprayers, handlers, and applicators may need additional training that lasts up to 1 year. Large institutional employers such as golf courses, university campuses, and municipalities may supplement on-the-job training with instruction in horticulture, arboriculture, urban forestry, insect and disease diagnosis, tree climbing, or small-engine repair.
Grounds maintenance workers who have other qualifications, such as formal education or several years of related experience, may become crew leaders or advance into other supervisory positions. Some workers use their experience to start their own business, such as a landscaping company.
Overall employment of grounds maintenance workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 170,300 openings for grounds maintenance workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers will be needed to keep up with increasing demand for lawn care and landscaping services from homeowners and from large institutions, such as universities and corporate campuses. As communities invest resources in creating more green spaces in urban areas, the demand for ground maintenance workers to plant and maintain these landscapes will increase.
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.
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of grounds maintenance workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Agricultural Workers |
Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. |
See How to Become One | $33,290 |
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Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers |
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers run establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $75,760 |
|
Forest and Conservation Workers |
Forest and conservation workers perform physical labor to improve the quality of natural areas such as forests, rangelands, and wetlands. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $32,270 |
|
Janitors and Building Cleaners |
Janitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, sanitary, orderly, and in good condition. |
No formal educational credential | $31,990 |
|
Landscape Architects |
Landscape architects design parks and other outdoor spaces. |
Bachelor's degree | $73,210 |
|
Logging Workers |
Logging workers harvest forests to provide the raw material for many consumer goods and industrial products. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $46,580 |
|
Pest Control Workers |
Pest control workers remove insects, rodents, and other pests that infest buildings and surrounding areas. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $38,310 |