Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
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.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. The role reports a median annual salary of $38,090 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a No formal educational credential, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.53 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Coordination, Active Listening.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £26,737 a year for Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9119). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Elementary occupations” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Landscaping and groundskeeping workers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 9. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Chemistry
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Biology
- Mathematics
A day in the life
You start the day at a park or office campus, collecting mowers, trimmers and tools from the shed and checking fuel and blades. First you walk the grounds picking up litter left overnight. Then you mow the lawns, working in neat rows while watching for stones and people. Mid-morning you trim hedges and prune overgrown shrubs with shears and a hedge trimmer, shaping them carefully. After lunch you water flower beds and newly planted trees with hoses, and spread fertiliser on patchy grass, following safety instructions for the chemicals. Later you rake leaves, clear paths and plant seasonal flowers in a bed near the entrance. At the end of the day you clean and store equipment properly. The work is physical and outdoors in all weather, but seeing well-kept green spaces that people enjoy gives you real satisfaction.
In India: In India this work is done by gardeners, or malis, employed by households, housing societies, institutions and city parks, often using hand tools more than powered equipment.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Landscaping and groundskeeping workers do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
You start the day at a park or office campus, collecting mowers, trimmers and tools from the shed and checking fuel and blades. First you walk the grounds picking up litter left overnight. Then you mow the lawns, working in neat rows while watching for stones and people. Mid-morning you trim hedges and prune overgrown shrubs with shears and a hedge trimmer, shaping them carefully.
How much does Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn?
The median annual salary for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in the US is $38,090.
What is the job outlook for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 1,192,500 workers.
How do I become landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The typical entry education is a No formal educational credential. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Landscaping and groundskeeping workers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Coordination, Active Listening, Operations Monitoring. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
Our AI-durability model gives Landscaping and groundskeeping workers a score of 0.53 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.