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Skilled Trades

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

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$55,000

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$34k – $99k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $70,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree (trade/license)

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

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

    Entry / Junior

    $34,100

    ~2 yrs to advance

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

    Established

    $55,000

    ~3 yrs to advance

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

    Senior

    $77,000

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.