Education:
57%
Less than a High School Diploma
37%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Tree Trimmers and Pruners
This is a sub-career of
Grounds Maintenance Worker
More sub-careers
Select a specialized sub-career for more details.
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Job Outlook:
As fast as average
Education:
High school diploma or equivalent
Salary
High:
$72,370.00
Average:
$49,820.00
Hourly
Average:
$23.95
What they do:
Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.
On the job, you would:
- Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
- Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
- Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
Important Qualities
Ability to work at heights. Tree trimmers and pruners and other grounds maintenance workers must be comfortable working high off the ground when cutting tree limbs and branches.
Communication skills. Grounds maintenance workers must be able to convey information and instructions to clients, customers, and supervisors.
Dexterity. Grounds maintenance workers must have good eye, foot, and hand coordination when using dangerous or heavy equipment such as backhoes, mowers, and tractors.
Physical stamina. Grounds maintenance workers must be able to do strenuous labor for long periods of time, occasionally in extreme heat or cold.
Physical strength. These workers may need to be able to lift heavy equipment or supplies.
Self-motivated. Because they often work with little supervision, grounds maintenance workers must be able to do their tasks independently.
Visualization. Grounds maintenance workers must be able to imagine how plants, shrubs, trees, and other landscaping will look before planting or trimming.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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80% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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80% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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78% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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76% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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75% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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75% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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73% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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70% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
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65% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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65% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
100% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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75% | Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. | |
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72% | Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion. | |
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72% | Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears. | |
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72% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. | |
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72% | Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. | |
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69% | Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs. | |
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69% | Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. | |
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69% | Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects. | |
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66% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
Instruct staff in work policies or procedures.
Supervise maintenance workers.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
Climb ladders or vehicles to perform duties.
Clean equipment or supplies.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Remove debris from work sites.
Drive trucks or other vehicles to or at work sites.
Inspect landscaping to determine treatment needs.
Install equipment to protect or support trees.
Remove debris from work sites.
Provide information about landscaping services or costs.
Remove debris from work sites.
Remove debris from work sites.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Plant greenery to improve landscape appearance.
Prepare chemicals for work application.
Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Estimate maintenance service requirements or costs.
Irrigate lawns, trees, or plants.
Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
Trim trees or other vegetation.
Treat greenery or surfaces with protective substances.
Operate grounds maintenance equipment.
Install equipment to protect or support trees.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
100% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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98% | Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions? | |
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93% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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92% | Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? | |
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87% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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85% | Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment? | |
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85% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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84% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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83% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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81% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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81% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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81% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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80% | In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? | |
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80% | Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? | |
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74% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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74% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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73% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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71% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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71% | Exposed to High Places - How often does this job require exposure to high places? | |
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70% | Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? | |
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69% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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68% | Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings - How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings? | |
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68% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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94% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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89% | Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. | |
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81% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. | |
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78% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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75% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. | |
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74% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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72% | Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). | |
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71% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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71% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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65% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
What Grounds Maintenance Workers Do
Grounds maintenance workers mow, edge, and fertilize lawns.
Grounds maintenance workers install and maintain landscapes, prune trees or shrubs, and do other tasks to ensure that vegetation is attractive, orderly, and safe.
Duties
Grounds maintenance workers typically do the following:
- Mow, edge, and fertilize lawns
- Weed and mulch landscape beds
- Trim hedges, shrubs, and small trees
- Remove dead, damaged, or unwanted trees or branches
- Plant flowers, trees, shrubs, and other plants
- Apply pesticides, herbicides, or other treatments to plants or soil
- Water lawns, landscapes, and gardens
- Monitor and maintain plant health
Grounds maintenance workers do a variety of tasks to achieve pleasant and functional environments. They care for outdoor grounds of businesses, homes, parks, and other spaces and for indoor plants in hotels, malls, botanical gardens, and other commercial and public facilities. They generally work under the direction of a landscaping, lawn service, or groundskeeping supervisor.
Depending on their specific tasks, grounds maintenance workers may use a variety of handheld tools (such as such as garden shears, spray applicators, and shovels) and power equipment (including lawnmowers, chain saws, and backhoes).
The following are examples of types of grounds maintenance workers:
Landscaping workers plant flowers, shrubs, trees, and other vegetation to create new outdoor spaces or to upgrade existing ones. They also trim, fertilize, mulch, and water plants. Some grade and install lawns or construct hardscapes such as walkways, patios, and decks. Others help install lighting or sprinkler systems. Landscaping workers attend to a variety of commercial and residential settings, such as apartment buildings, homes, hotels and motels, office buildings, and shopping malls.
Groundskeeping workers, also called groundskeepers, focus on property upkeep. Their duties include maintaining plants and trees, raking and mulching leaves, and laying sod. They also care for ornamental features, such as fountains, planters, and benches; clear snow and debris from walkways and parking lots; and tend to groundskeeping equipment. They work on many of the same settings that landscaping workers do, as well as on athletic fields, cemeteries, and other lands that need maintenance.
Groundskeeping workers who care for athletic fields keep natural and artificial turf in top condition, mark boundaries, and may paint turf with team logos and names before events. They regularly mow, water, fertilize, and aerate natural fields and ensure that the underlying soil drains properly. They also vacuum and disinfect artificial turf to prevent growth of harmful bacteria and replace worn turf or cushioning periodically.
In parks and recreation facilities, groundskeepers care for lawns, trees, and shrubs. They also maintain playgrounds; clean buildings and inspect, repair, and paint them as needed; and keep parking lots, picnic areas, and other spaces free of litter. They may erect and dismantle snow fences and maintain swimming pools.
Some groundskeepers specialize in caring for cemeteries and memorial gardens. They dig graves to specified depths. They mow grass regularly, apply fertilizers and other chemicals, prune shrubs and trees, plant flowers, and remove debris from graves.
Greenskeepers maintain golf courses. Although similar overall to that of groundskeepers, their work on turf maintenance may be more complex. They also periodically relocate holes on putting greens and maintain canopies, benches, and tee markers along the course.
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators apply herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides to plants or soil to prevent or control weeds, insects, and diseases. They inspect lawns for problems and apply chemical or other treatments to stimulate growth and prevent or control threats to cultivated plants.
Tree trimmers and pruners, also called arborists, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to clear utility lines, roads, sidewalks, and other areas. Some specialize in diagnosing and treating tree diseases. Others specialize in pruning, trimming, and shaping ornamental trees and shrubs.
Work Environment
Grounds maintenance workers held about 1.3 million jobs in 2022. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up grounds maintenance workers was distributed as follows:
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 1,176,100 |
| Tree trimmers and pruners | 66,000 |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | 23,200 |
| Grounds maintenance workers, all other | 16,300 |
The largest employers of grounds maintenance workers were as follows:
| Services to buildings and dwellings | 47% |
| Self-employed workers | 20 |
| Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries | 7 |
| Government | 7 |
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 3 |
Grounds maintenance work is usually done outdoors in all kinds of weather. The work may be repetitive and physically demanding, requiring frequent bending, kneeling, lifting, and shoveling.
Injuries and Illnesses
Grounds maintenance work may be dangerous. Workers who use equipment such as lawnmowers and chain saws must wear protective clothing, eyewear, and earplugs. Those who apply chemicals such as pesticides or fertilizers must wear protective gear, including appropriate clothing, gloves, goggles, and sometimes respirators.
Tree trimmers and pruners and grounds maintenance workers, all other, have some of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. ("All other" titles represent occupations with a wide range of characteristics that do not fit into any of the other detailed occupations.)
Although fatalities are uncommon, tree trimmers and pruners experience one of the highest rates of fatalities of all occupations. These workers are often at great heights and must use fall protection gear and wear hardhats and goggles for most activities.
Work Schedules
Most grounds maintenance workers are full time, and their work schedules may vary. These workers may be busier or work longer hours in the spring, summer, and fall, when planting, mowing, and trimming activities are most frequent.
Some jobs are seasonal. However, grounds maintenance workers sometimes provide other services during the winter months, such as snow removal.
Getting Started
How to Become a Grounds Maintenance Worker
Some workers study topics such as landscape design or horticulture.
Grounds maintenance workers typically do not need a formal educational credential and are trained on the job. States may require licensing for workers who apply pesticides or fertilizers.
Education
Entry-level grounds maintenance jobs typically have no formal education requirements, although employers may prefer to hire candidates who have a high school diploma or equivalent. Prospective grounds maintenance workers may benefit from studying topics such as landscape design, horticulture, or arboriculture.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Most states require licensing for workers who apply pesticides. Licensing for workers who handle fertilizers varies by state. Obtaining a license usually involves passing a test on the proper use and disposal of insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Check with your state’s licensing official for more information.
Although professional certification is not required, it demonstrates competency and reliability for prospective clients and employers. For example, the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) offer credentials in landscaping and grounds maintenance for workers at various experience levels. The Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) offer certifications for tree care workers.
Training
Grounds maintenance workers typically need 1 month or less of on-the-job training to learn the skills they need, including how to plant and maintain areas and how to use mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, small tractors, and other equipment. Pesticide sprayers, handlers, and applicators may need additional training that lasts up to 1 year. Large institutional employers such as golf courses, university campuses, and municipalities may supplement on-the-job training with instruction in horticulture, arboriculture, urban forestry, insect and disease diagnosis, tree climbing, or small-engine repair.
Advancement
Grounds maintenance workers who have other qualifications, such as formal education or several years of related experience, may become crew leaders or advance into other supervisory positions. Some workers use their experience to start their own business, such as a landscaping company.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of grounds maintenance workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 170,300 openings for grounds maintenance workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers will be needed to keep up with increasing demand for lawn care and landscaping services from homeowners and from large institutions, such as universities and corporate campuses. As communities invest resources in creating more green spaces in urban areas, the demand for ground maintenance workers to plant and maintain these landscapes will increase.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about tree trimmers and pruners, including certification, visit
International Society of Arboriculture
Tree Care Industry Association
For information about landscaping and groundskeeping workers, visit
National Association of Landscape Professionals
Professional Grounds Management Society
For information about becoming a licensed pesticide applicator, contact your state’s licensing official.
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of grounds maintenance workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Agricultural Workers |
Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. |
See How to Become One | $33,290 |
|
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers |
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers run establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $75,760 |
|
Forest and Conservation Workers |
Forest and conservation workers perform physical labor to improve the quality of natural areas such as forests, rangelands, and wetlands. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $32,270 |
|
Janitors and Building Cleaners |
Janitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, sanitary, orderly, and in good condition. |
No formal educational credential | $31,990 |
|
Landscape Architects |
Landscape architects design parks and other outdoor spaces. |
Bachelor's degree | $73,210 |
|
Logging Workers |
Logging workers harvest forests to provide the raw material for many consumer goods and industrial products. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $46,580 |
|
Pest Control Workers |
Pest control workers remove insects, rodents, and other pests that infest buildings and surrounding areas. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $38,310 |