How to hire landscaping and groundskeeping workers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Gather and remove litter. • 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. • Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws. • Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds. • Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $18.82 an hour ($39,150 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for landscaping and groundskeeping workers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to gather and remove litter. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What landscaping and groundskeeping workers do
- Gather and remove litter.
- 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.
- Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.
- Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.
- Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.
Education, experience and outlook for landscaping and groundskeeping workers
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: Up to 1 month (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +4.7% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 149,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay landscaping and groundskeeping workers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $48,790 |
| Massachusetts | $48,670 |
| Alaska | $47,690 |
| Washington | $46,950 |
| Minnesota | $46,610 |
| Louisiana | $34,870 |
| West Virginia | $32,240 |
| Mississippi | $31,630 |
See landscaping and groundskeeping workers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
- Tree Trimmers and Pruners
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
- First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
- Agricultural Equipment Operators
- Highway Maintenance Workers
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
- Fallers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.