Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers - 37-3011.00

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.

Sample of reported job titles: Gardener, Greenskeeper, Grounds Maintenance Worker, Grounds Person, Grounds Worker, Grounds/Maintenance Specialist, Groundskeeper, Landscape Specialist, Landscape Technician, Outside Maintenance Worker

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, chain-saws, 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
• Rake, mulch, and compost leaves.
• Decorate gardens with stones or plants.
• 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.
• Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens.
• Maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches, using hand or power tools.
• 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.
• 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 used on the fields.
• Advise customers on plant selection or care.
• Haul or spread topsoil or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place.

Technology Skills

• Electronic mail software - IBM Notes
• Office suite software - Microsoft Office
• Operating system software - Microsoft Windows
• Spreadsheet software - Microsoft Excel
• Word processing software - Microsoft Word

Tools Used

• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Agricultural tractors - Tractors
• All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled - Utility vehicles
• Axes - Pick axes
• Backhoes
• Cable reels - Electrical cord reels
• Cargo trucks
• Concrete mixers or plants - Concrete mixers
• Cultivators - Soil pulverizers; Tillers
• Draglines - Drag brooms; Drag leveling bars; Plow pan spikers; X-drags (see all 7 examples)
• Dump trucks
• Ear clamps - Oetiker clamps
• Ear plugs - Protective ear plugs
• Fertilizer spreaders or distributors - Fertilizer spreaders; Hand spreaders; Salt spreaders
• Forestry saws - Pruning saws
• Forklifts
• Front end loaders
• Garden forks - Mulching forks
• Gas generators
• Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus - Gas welders
• Goggles - Safety goggles
• Graders or land levelers - Land levelers; Land planes; Landscape rakes; Power rakes (see all 7 examples)
• Grinding wheels - Knife sharpeners
• Hammers
• Hand sprayers - Backpack pump sprayers
• Handheld thermometer - Digital soil thermometers
• Harrows - Flexible chain-link harrows; Reversible spike harrows
• Hedge clippers - Hedge shears; Hedge trimmers
• Hoes - Scuffle hoes
• Hydraulic truck cranes - Aerial lift trucks; Hydraulic booms
• Ladders - Extension ladders
• Lawnmowers - Hydrostatic mowers; Manual mowers; Push mowers; Riding mowers (see all 6 examples)
• Levels - Mound slope gauges
• Measuring wheels for distance - Measuring wheels
• Paint sprayers - Paint sprayguns; Wheeled paint sprayers
• Pallet trucks
• Picks - Ground picks
• Pipe or tube cutter - Pipe cutters
• Power blowers - Backpack blowers; Leaf blowers
• Power chippers - Leaf-grinding machines; Wood chippers
• Power drills - Hammer drills; Handheld power drills
• Power saws - Chain saws
• Power trimmers - Line trimmers; String trimmers
• Precision file - Precision files
• Protective gloves - Safety gloves
• Rakes - Arena rakes; Iron rakes; Leaf rakes; Turf sweepers (see all 6 examples)
• Rollers for lawn or sports grounds - Turf rollers; Turf striping rollers
• Rubber mallet - Rubber mallets
• Saws - Handsaws; Pole saws
• Screwdrivers
• Scrubbing machines - Power sweepers; Tractor broom attachments
• Secateurs or pruning shears - Loppers; Pruners
• Seeder attachment - Overseed enhancing tools
• Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine - Shielded arc welding tools
• Shovels - Dirt shovels; Snow shovels; Sod lifters
• Snow blowers
• Snowplow attachments
• Sockets - Socket wrenches
• Soil core sampling apparatus - Hex pluggers; Soil probes; Soil profilers
• Spades
• Sprayers - Pressurized sprayers; Truck-mounted chemical sprayers
• Squeegees or washers - Roller squeegees
• Stencils or lettering aids - Field painting stencils
• Tape measures - Field layout systems; Measuring tapes
• Tarpaulins - Ground tarps
• Trowels
• Water pumps - Puddle pumps
• Water sprinklers - Sprinklers
• Weeders - Brush trimmers
• Wheel loaders - Bucket loaders

Knowledge

• English Language - 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 - 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 - 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.

Skills

• Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Abilities

• 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.
• 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.
• Trunk Strength - 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 - 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 - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
• Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• 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 there is a problem.
• Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Interests

• Interest code: RC
  • Realistic - 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 - 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.

Work Context

• Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - 99% responded “Every day.”
• Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - 75% responded “Every day.”
• Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - 85% responded “Every day.”
• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
• Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - 57% responded “Every day.”
• Spend Time Standing - 64% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - 57% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
• Exposed to Contaminants - 59% responded “Every day.”
• Physical Proximity - 69% responded “Moderately close (at arm's length).”
• Face-to-Face Discussions - 66% responded “Every day.”
• Spend Time Walking and Running - 41% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
• Work With Work Group or Team - 45% responded “Extremely important.”
• In an Open Vehicle or Equipment - 43% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment - 57% responded “Very important.”
• Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings - 36% responded “Every day.”
• Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - 37% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - 20% responded “Very high responsibility.”
• Duration of Typical Work Week - 77% responded “40 hours.”
• Time Pressure - 42% responded “Every day.”
• In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - 46% responded “Every day.”
• Contact With Others - 44% responded “Constant contact with others.”
• Frequency of Conflict Situations - 37% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - 42% responded “Important.”
• Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - 35% responded “About half the time.”
• Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - 28% responded “Important results.”
• Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - 29% responded “No responsibility.”
• Structured versus Unstructured Work - 41% responded “Some freedom.”
• Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body - 31% responded “Never.”

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
39%	Less than high school diploma
31%	Post-secondary certificate
18%	Bachelor's degree

Work Styles

• Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
• Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
• Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
• Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
• Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
• Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
• 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.
• Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
• Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
• Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
• Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
• Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Work Values

• Relationships - 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.
• Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
• 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.

Wages & Trends

• Median wages (2017)
  • $13.31 hourly, $27,670 annual
• Employment (2016)
  • 1,198,000 employees
• Projected growth (2016-2026)
  • Faster than average (10% to 14%)
• Projected job openings (2016-2026)
  • 163,000