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Date: 05/19/2025

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

Landscape or maintain 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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Rake, mulch, and compost leaves.
    • Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
    • Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
    • Gather and remove litter.
    • Care for natural turf fields, making sure the underlying soil has the required composition to allow proper drainage and to support the grasses.
    • Advise customers on plant selection or care.
    • Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.
    • Care for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls.
    • Maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches, using hand or power tools.
    • Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
    • Attach wires from planted trees to support stakes.
    • Haul or spread topsoil, or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place.
    • Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
    • Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.
    • Plant seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees, or shrubs, and apply mulch for protection, using gardening tools.
    • Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens.
    • Plant seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees, or shrubs, and apply mulch for protection, using gardening tools.
    • Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
    • Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
    • Care for artificial turf fields, periodically removing the turf and replacing cushioning pads or vacuuming and disinfecting the turf after use to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
    • Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
    • Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.
    • Follow planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage.
    • Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
    • Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders.
    • Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste.
    • Shovel snow from walks, driveways, or parking lots, and spread salt in those areas.
    • Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment.
    • Decorate gardens with stones or plants.
    • Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
    • Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
    • Maintain irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring.
    • Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders.

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    Knowledge

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • 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.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • 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.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 36100/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 17.36/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 42,650
    • Yearly Projected Openings 5470

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Cooperation
    • Self Control
    • Dependability
    • Achievement/Effort

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Agricultural tractors
    • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
    • Axes
    • Backhoes
    • Cable reels
    • Cargo trucks
    • Concrete mixers or plants
    • Cultivators
    • Draglines
    • Dump trucks
    • Ear clamps
    • Ear plugs
    • Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
    • Forestry saws
    • Forklifts
    • Front end loaders
    • Garden forks
    • Gas generators
    • Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
    • Goggles
    • Graders or land levelers
    • Grinding wheels
    • Hammers
    • Hand sprayers
    • Handheld thermometer
    • Harrows
    • Hedge clippers
    • Hoes
    • Hydraulic truck cranes
    • Ladders
    • Lawnmowers
    • Levels
    • Measuring wheels for distance
    • Paint sprayers
    • Pallet trucks
    • Picks
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Power blowers
    • Power chippers
    • Power drills
    • Power saws
    • Power trimmers
    • Precision file
    • Protective gloves
    • Rakes
    • Rollers for lawn or sports grounds
    • Rubber mallet
    • Saws
    • Screwdrivers
    • Scrubbing machines
    • Secateurs or pruning shears
    • Seeder attachment
    • Shielded metal arc welding or stick welding machine
    • Shovels
    • Snow blowers
    • Snowplow attachments
    • Sockets
    • Soil core sampling apparatus
    • Spades
    • Sprayers
    • Squeegees or washers
    • Stencils or lettering aids
    • Tape measures
    • Tarpaulins
    • Trowels
    • Water pumps
    • Water sprinklers
    • Weeders
    • Wheel loaders

    Technology

    • Electronic mail software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web page creation and editing software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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