In government, groundskeeping is a growth profession
Grounds maintenance workers held about 1.5 million jobs in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) “Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition.”
Some of the job titles in the handbook include: landscapers; tree trimmers and pruners; pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators; vegetation handlers; and first-line supervisors and managers of groundskeeping and landscaping workers.
BLS forecasters say that job opportunities should be good in the future. Employment of grounds maintenance workers is expected to increase by 18 percent during the 2008-2018 decade, which is faster than the average for all occupations. In addition, grounds maintenance work will create a sizable number of new jobs, with a total of 269,200 created through 2018. More workers will be needed to keep up with increasing demand for lawn care and landscaping services both from large institutions and from individual homeowners.
Major institutions, such as universities and government entities, recognize the importance of good landscape design in attracting personnel and pleasing the public, and are expected to continue to use grounds maintenance services to maintain and upgrade their properties.
Openings will arise from faster-than-average growth and the need to replace workers who leave this large occupation. Job opportunities for non-seasonal work will be best in regions with temperate climates, where landscaping and lawn services are required all year.
Governments will boost their groundskeeping work forces by almost 10 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to BLS estimates. Total government employment in this occupational category was about 108,300 in 2008, and it will rise to 118,200 in 2018, according to BLS forecasters.
Local governments are the largest employers in the public sector. Cities and counties employed 97,900 grounds maintenance staff in 2008, and they will employ 107,100 in 2018, which is a 9.4 percent growth rate.
The BLS handbook is a career guidance resource for job seekers. The handbook provides information on job duties, working conditions, employment, training, advancement and other qualifications. It also covers job outlook, earnings, related occupations, and sources of additional information for about 250 different occupations covering nine out of 10 jobs in the economy. For more information, view the grounds maintenance workers section of the BLS’ “Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition.”