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

Typical education: Associate degreeHigh pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $58,430 Median per year · $28.09/hr Most earn $40,560–$85,650

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Train workers in tasks such as transplanting or pruning trees or shrubs, finishing cement, using equipment, or caring for turf.
  • Investigate work-related complaints to verify problems and to determine responses.
  • Direct or perform mixing or application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
  • Prepare or maintain required records, such as work activity or personnel reports.
  • Confer with managers or landscape architects to develop plans or schedules for landscaping maintenance or improvement.
  • Inventory supplies of tools, equipment, or materials to ensure that sufficient supplies are available and items are in usable condition.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 23,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Self-employed (their own business)46.8%
  • Landscaping services35.7%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals4.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Associate degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This isn't usually a first job. Most people start on a landscaping or grounds crew, learn the work, and move into supervising after about 2 to 4 years of hands-on experience, often alongside an associate degree.

  1. High school diploma, plus plant and outdoor work experience

    4 years (high school)

    Build basic knowledge of plants, tools, and outdoor work, and get comfortable with math and customer conversations, which all matter later on the job.

  2. Associate degree in horticulture or landscape management

    2 years

    A two-year degree teaches plant care, irrigation, soil, and business basics, which prepares you to read contracts, plan jobs, and prepare estimates.

  3. Landscaping Crew Member or Groundskeeper

    2-4 years

    You do the daily work of mowing, planting, pruning, and equipment care, and learn how a job runs from start to finish. Many people take on crew lead duties here before moving up.

  4. Landscape Crew Supervisor

    Ongoing in this role

    Your career as a First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers: you direct crews, answer customer questions, and prepare estimates based on labor, materials, and equipment costs.

Where it can lead

  1. Operations Manager

    3-5 years of experience first

    You oversee several crews or branches, manage budgets and equipment, and handle larger accounts, which usually means showing strong planning and leadership over time.

  2. Account Manager

    3-5 years of experience first

    You focus on maintaining client relationships, selling service contracts, and growing a company's customer base, which builds on your estimating and customer skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, environmental science, or agriculture classesThese classes teach how plants, soil, and weather work, which is the foundation of landscape and grounds care.
  • Get a summer or weekend job at a lawn company, nursery, or garden centerHands-on work shows you the daily routine of crews and lets you learn tools and plant care firsthand.
  • Join FFA, 4-H, or a school gardening club if your school has oneThese groups build leadership, teamwork, and project management skills that supervisors use every day.
  • Take shop or small engine repair classesCrews rely on mowers, trimmers, and trucks, and knowing how to keep equipment running is a real advantage.
  • Practice customer service at any job you can getSupervisors answer client questions and explain prices, so being polite and clear with people is a key skill.

In college

  • Enroll in a horticulture, plant science, or landscape management programA focused major or certificate covers plant care, soil, irrigation, and site design, which are the core skills of this job.
  • Take a business math, accounting, or small business courseEstimating labor, materials, and equipment costs and managing a crew's budget depend on these skills.
  • Get a summer internship or part-time job with a landscape or grounds companyHands-on experience and a reference help you move from crew member to crew leader faster.
  • Work on a campus grounds crew or with the college's facilities teamCampus grounds jobs give you real experience with maintenance schedules, equipment, and working with a team.
  • Earn a pesticide applicator or irrigation certification if your state offers itCertifications show employers you know safety rules and can take on more responsibility.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local landscaping or lawn company if they hire seasonal or part-time help, and say you want to learn estimating and crew leading, not just mowing.
  • Take a math or business class early. Estimating jobs, tracking materials, and pricing work all depend on comfort with numbers.
  • Look up your state's requirements for pesticide or herbicide applicator licenses. Many states require them for lawn treatment work, and getting one early makes you more valuable.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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