About This Career

Landscapes or maintains 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.

This career is part of the Architecture and Construction cluster Maintenance/Operations pathway.

A person in this career:

• Gathers and removes litter.
• Uses hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
• Operates vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
• Waters lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.
• Prunes or trims trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
• Mixes and sprays or spreads fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
• Cares for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls.
• Follows planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage.
• Trims or picks flowers and cleans flower beds.
• Attaches wires from planted trees to support stakes.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 50 lbs., sometimes up to 100 lbs. You will need a lot of strength at this level.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves walking or running more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly up close
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Seasonal work