Landscaping and groundskeeping workers
SOC Code: 37-3011
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers carries a 14% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $38,090 and +3.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 1,192,500 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 14% AI exposure, Landscaping and groundskeeping workers sits 23 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 1% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
55/100
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $38,090
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth C+ +3.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 14% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Landscaping and groundskeeping workers in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers keeps an No credential bar (109 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Landscaping and groundskeeping workers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Landscaping and groundskeeping workers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
14% Among the lowest lower than 99% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Landscaping and groundskeeping workers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers's Low automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 37-3011) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Landscaping and groundskeeping workers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Landscaping and groundskeeping workers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Gather and remove litter.
- 2. Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
- 3. Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
- 4. Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.
- 5. Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
- 6. Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.
- 7. Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste.
- 8. Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, burial sites, or other grounds features.
- 9. Shovel snow from walks, driveways, or parking lots, and spread salt in those areas.
- 10. Maintain irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring.
Key Skills Required
- Operation and Control
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Coordination
- Operations Monitoring
- Time Management
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
Knowledge Areas
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Chemistry
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Design
- Transportation
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers has an AI exposure score of 14%, indicating a low level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Landscaping and groundskeeping workers is projected to grow by 3.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 1,192,500 workers.
What skills are needed for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
Key skills for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers include Operation and Control, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Landscaping and groundskeeping workers earn?
The median annual wage for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers is $38,090, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
The typical entry-level education for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Landscaping and groundskeeping workers?
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Low automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Landscaping and groundskeeping workers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (14% here).
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers · AI exposure 14%
- Recreational vehicle service technicians · AI exposure 14%
- Stonemasons · AI exposure 14%
- Aircraft mechanics and service technicians · AI exposure 13%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+3.6% here).
- Automotive glass installers and repairers · growth +3.6%
- Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders · growth +3.6%
- Crossing guards and flaggers · growth +3.6%
- Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other · growth +3.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 43 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Landscaping and groundskeeping workers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Landscaping and groundskeeping workers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).