First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

SOC Code: 37-1012
Also known as:
Arborist Crew Leader, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor, Cemetery Workers Supervisor, Field Manager, Gardening Manager
Median Annual Salary
$56,170
+2.3% growth (2024-2034)
23K
Openings/Year
225K
Current Jobs

What First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers 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.

💰 Salary

$56,170
Median annual wage (2024)

📈 Job Growth

+2.3%
As fast as average

🎓 Education

High school diploma or equivalent
Typical entry-level requirement

🚀 Annual Openings

23K
Projected average per year

👔 Work Experience

Less than 5 years
Required before entry

Employment Projections (2024-2034)

Current Employment (2024)

224,700

Projected Employment (2034)

230,000

Top Skills Required

Monitoring
Time Management
Active Listening
Management of Personnel Resources
Speaking

Daily Tasks & Responsibilities

  • 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.
  • Plant or maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, or pruning.
  • Direct or perform mixing or application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
  • Train workers in tasks such as transplanting or pruning trees or shrubs, finishing cement, using equipment, or caring for turf.
  • Prepare service estimates based on labor, material, and machine costs and maintain budgets for individual projects.

Technology & Tools

Facebook Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word

📚 Entry-Level Education

High school diploma or equivalent
Most common requirement

🎯 Recommended Education

Bachelor's Degree
O*NET recommended level

Degree Programs for First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

These degree programs can prepare you for a career as a first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers:

Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General

2,270 degrees awarded • 146 colleges offer this program

Landscaping and Groundskeeping

877 degrees awarded • 80 colleges offer this program

Turf and Turfgrass Management

396 degrees awarded • 39 colleges offer this program

Golf Course Operation and Grounds Management

161 degrees awarded • 8 colleges offer this program

Plant Nursery Operations and Management

131 degrees awarded • 24 colleges offer this program

Greenhouse Operations and Management

128 degrees awarded • 16 colleges offer this program

Ornamental Horticulture

104 degrees awarded • 16 colleges offer this program

Best Colleges for Becoming a First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees in related programs. These are the top-rated colleges that prepare students to become first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers.

# College Location Related Degrees Repit Grade
1 Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX 42 B+
2 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 28 B+
3 North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC 23 B+
4 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA 17 B+
5 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 31 B
6 Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY 22 B
7 State Technical College of Missouri Linn, MO 21 B
8 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO 19 B
9 Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS 18 B
10 Brigham Young University Provo, UT 18 B
11 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 16 B
12 Williamson College of the Trades Media, PA 15 B
13 Lake Land College Mattoon, IL 421 C+
14 Valencia College Orlando, FL 93 C+
15 Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA 82 C+
16 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC 71 C+
17 Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO 55 C+
18 Western Texas College Snyder, TX 45 C+
19 Spokane Community College Spokane, WA 41 C+
20 Front Range Community College Westminster, CO 40 C+

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers make?
The median annual salary for first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers is $56,170.
What education do first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers need?
Most first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent. Common degree programs include Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General, Landscaping and Groundskeeping, Turf and Turfgrass Management.
Is becoming first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers a good career choice?
First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers is projected to see +2.3% job growth from 2024 to 2034, which is about average for all occupations. With approximately 23,200 job openings expected annually, there are good opportunities for those entering the field.
What are the best colleges for first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers?
Top colleges for aspiring first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers include Texas A & M University-College Station, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, North Carolina State University at Raleigh, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Michigan State University. These schools are ranked based on their Repit grade and the number of graduates in related programs.
What other job titles are similar to first-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers?
First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers may also be known as: Arborist Crew Leader, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor, Cemetery Workers Supervisor, Field Manager, Gardening Manager, Gardening Supervisor, Golf Course Manager, Golf Course Superintendent, Greens Superintendent, Greenskeeper Supervisor, Grounds Crew Supervisor, Grounds Foreman, Grounds Maintenance Supervisor, Grounds Manager, Grounds Superintendent, Grounds Supervisor, Groundskeeper Supervisor, Horticultural Services Supervisor, Junior Landscape Crew Leader, Landscape Account Manager. These titles often refer to similar roles with varying responsibilities or specializations.