Skip to content
Boston Career Explorer

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance

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.

Also called: Athletic Fieldskeeper, Greenskeeper, Grounds Maintenance Worker, Grounds Specialist, Groundskeeper, Groundsman

Compare with my current job (Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$49,030
$23.57/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
15,120
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.8%
3,400 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
No formal educational credential
plus Short-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$37,940$45,480$49,030$59,210$62,370

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.
  • Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
  • Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
  • Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
  • Gather and remove litter.
  • Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure3 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 1
  • Language-model AIOE 1
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 7

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

Landscaping is outdoor, physical work like mowing, pruning, and using powered equipment. AI exposure is lower and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools do not do this work, though they may someday help with planning or scheduling.

Likely to change

  • Planning crew schedules and routes
  • Powered equipment gaining smarter features

Still relies on people

  • Mowing, pruning, and digging by hand
  • Working outdoors in changing weather

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Brickmasons and Blockmasons

    Installing wall units and working with measurements carry over to masonry, which is taught through an apprenticeship and pays much more.

    Pay difference
    +$47,930 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

    Outdoor physical work and setting grades carry over to concrete finishing, which needs no formal credential and pays more.

    Pay difference
    +$13,840 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +2.9%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

  • Roofers

    Comfort with outdoor labor and power tools carries over to roofing, which has 7.7% projected growth and no formal credential.

    Pay difference
    +$17,320 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +7.7%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

2 programs near Boston

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

Talk to a career coach