First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities. Work may involve reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and workforce requirements; answering inquiries from potential customers regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.

What you'd actually do

• Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety.
• Schedule work for crews, depending on work priorities, crew or equipment availability, or weather conditions.
• Tour grounds, such as parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, or golf courses, to inspect conditions of plants and soil.
• Monitor project activities to ensure that instructions are followed, deadlines are met, and schedules are maintained.
• Direct activities of workers who perform duties, such as landscaping, cultivating lawns, or pruning trees and shrubs.
• Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications, standards, and contract requirements.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; time pressure is a real part of the job. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 43.9% of first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and hands-on.

Related careers

• Tree Trimmers and Pruners
• First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
• Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other
• Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
• Pest Control Workers
• Building Cleaning Workers, All Other

Quick questions

How much does a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping worker make?

The median pay is $28.09 per hour — roughly $58,500 a year, with the real range running from about $19.50/hr (10th percentile) to $41.18/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping worker?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping worker actually do all day?

Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety. Schedule work for crews, depending on work priorities, crew or equipment availability, or weather conditions. Tour grounds, such as parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, or golf courses, to inspect conditions of plants and soil.