Grounds Maintenance Worker

Grounds Maintenance Worker

Career Overview

Grounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy.

Education

Although most grounds maintenance jobs have no education requirements, some employers may require formal education or certification in areas such as landscape design, horticulture, or arboriculture.

Future Outlook

Overall employment of grounds maintenance workers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.

Work Environment

Some grounds maintenance jobs are seasonal, available mainly in the spring, summer, and fall. Most of the work is done outdoors in all weather conditions. The work can be repetitive and physically demanding, requiring frequent bending, kneeling, lifting, and shoveling.

Recommended High School Courses

  • Hydrology
  • Plants & Soil Science
  • Landscape design

  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry 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.
  • Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  • Dispose of trash or waste materials.
  • Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
  • Irrigate lawns, trees, or plants.
  • Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
  • Trim trees or other vegetation.
  • Prepare chemicals for work application.
  • Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
  • Remove snow.
  • Maintain equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
  • Cultivate lawns, turf, or gardens.
  • Evaluate reports or designs to determine work needs.
  • Clean facilities or sites.
  • Install equipment to protect or support trees.
  • Plant greenery to improve landscape appearance.
  • Remove debris from work sites.
  • Decorate indoor or outdoor spaces.
  • Provide information about landscaping services or costs.

Schools

usa_school
North Carolina State Univ...
Oklahoma State University
Purdue University-main Ca...
University Of Massachuset...
Washington State Universi...
canada_school
Algonquin College
Fanshawe College- Lond...
Humber College- North...
Niagara College- Niaga...

Potential Scholarships

Aqha Region 1 Quarter Hor...
Aqha Arizona Quarter Hors...
Aqha Joan Cain Florida Qu...
Aqha Indiana Quarter Hors...
Aqha Dr. Gerald O'connor...
Aqhf Nebraska Quarter Hor...
- Creditcardgenius 2020 S...
- Haywood | Hunt & Associ...

Approx Salary Expectation

Currency:
Low End:
$21,060.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$29,700.00 /yr
High End:
$46,360.00 /yr

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.