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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers is licensed or registered in 9 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 17 professional certifications to Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers. 5 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified Grounds Technician (CGT), Certified Irrigation Technician (CIT), WaterSense for Irrigation System Auditor, WaterSense for Irrigation System Designer, WaterSense for Irrigation System Installation and Maintenance. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 6.2 hours and sit about 1.5 hours per day. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 50.0 pounds. For 66.1% of workers the job requires medium strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (38.8%), have a consistently fast work pace (45.4%), cannot pause their work (33.6%), and are exposed to the outdoors (over 99.5%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round landscaping and groundskeeping workers ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $36,500 with a high school diploma or GED, $41,100 with some college or an associate's degree, $41,300 with a bachelor's degree and $40,600 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of landscaping and groundskeeping workers work in Administrative, Support and Waste Management (75%), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (10%), Educational Services (4%) and Other Services (except Public Administration) (2%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most landscaping and groundskeeping workers are Services to Buildings and Dwellings (61% of the jobs counted, median pay $40,470), Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (10% of the jobs counted, median pay $36,190), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (9% of the jobs counted, median pay $39,360), Real Estate (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $39,340) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Services to Buildings and Dwellings ($40,470), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($39,360), Real Estate ($39,340). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among landscaping and groundskeeping workers with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Business Management and Administration (7%), Psychology (7%), General Business (6%) and Criminal Justice and Fire Protection (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For landscaping and groundskeeping workers, employers reported 197.7 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 8 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance", which includes this career, 8.2% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $924 for union members and $744 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to landscaping and groundskeeping workers.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Service", which includes this career, 52% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 51% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 70% had paid sick leave, 60% paid vacation and 59% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to landscaping and groundskeeping workers, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $27.17 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Service" in June 2026 ($19.59 in wages and salaries and $7.58 in benefits, 27.9% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for landscaping and groundskeeping workers are: outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions (99%), wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (75%), spend time standing (70%), spend time walking or running (62%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (51%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (45%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (89% of 23 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (32% of 23 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to landscaping and groundskeeping workers in the work done and the skills used: Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation, Tree Trimmers and Pruners, Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers, Agricultural Equipment Operators, Highway Maintenance Workers, Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare landscaping and groundskeeping workers with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
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