Occupation Details
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities. Work may involve reviewing contracts to ascertain service, machine, and workforce requirements; answering inquiries from potential customers regarding methods, material, and price ranges; and preparing estimates according to labor, material, and machine costs.
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Interests
Realistic
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Enterprising
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
Working Conditions
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$47,910.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$66,520.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$83,220.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
9,150
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
10,500
+135 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
1,146
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.2%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
College Helps - Some college classes or training
Experience Requirements
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education Requirements
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Public Safety and Security
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Mechanical
Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Adjustable widemouth pliers
- Bed shapers
- Brick cutters
- Bucket trucks
- Chainsaws
- Claw hammers
- Cordless drills
- Desktop computers
- Dump trucks
- Equipment trailers
- Farm tractors
- Fertilizer spreaders
- Forklifts
- Garden spades
- Gardening hoes
- Gardening shovels
- Grease guns
- Hand saws
- Hedge trimmers
- Herbicide sprayers
- Insecticide sprayers
- Landscape rakes
- Laser levels
- Lawn sprinklers
- Leaf blowers
- Leaf rakes
- Light pickup trucks
- Mattocks
- Measuring wheels
Technology
- Inventory management software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Payroll software
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- analyze operational or management reports or records
- prepare or maintain employee records
- resolve or assist workers to resolve work problems
- estimate materials or labor requirements
- prepare cost estimates
- determine work priority, crew or equipment requirements
- maintain or repair construction machinery or equipment
- repair and maintain grounds keeping equipment and tools
- maintain or repair farm vehicles, machinery, or mechanical implements
- recommend improvements to work methods or procedures
- use chain saws
- use hand or power tools
- use power mower
- operate agricultural equipment or machinery
- explain work orders, specifications, or work techniques to workers
- interview job applicants
- develop staffing plan
- hire, discharge, transfer, or promote workers
- publicize job openings
- make presentations
- investigate customer complaints
- answer customer or public inquiries
- demonstrate or explain assembly or use of equipment
- judge soil conditions
- use herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides or related products
- finish concrete surfaces
- mix paint, ingredients, or chemicals, according to specifications
- fell or buck trees
- use oral or written communication techniques
- use plant or crop transplant techniques
- maintain production or work records
- modify work procedures or processes to meet deadlines
- plan or organize work
- assign work to staff or employees
- establish employee performance standards
- orient new employees
- supervise grounds keeping or landscaping workers
- monitor worker performance
- understand second language
- recognize plant diseases
- perform safety inspections in agricultural, forestry, or fishing setting
- oversee work progress to verify safety or conformance to standards
- use truck-mounted hydraulic lifts or other accessories
- conduct or attend staff meetings
- consult with managerial or supervisory personnel
- make decisions
- resolve landscaping problems
- direct and coordinate activities of workers or staff
- schedule facility or property maintenance
- schedule employee work hours
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety.
- Schedule work for crews, depending on work priorities, crew or equipment availability, or weather conditions.
- Monitor project activities to ensure that instructions are followed, deadlines are met, and schedules are maintained.
- Tour grounds, such as parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, or golf courses, to inspect conditions of plants and soil.
- Direct activities of workers who perform duties, such as landscaping, cultivating lawns, or pruning trees and shrubs.
- Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications, standards, and contract requirements.
- Plant or maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, or pruning.
- Negotiate with customers regarding fees for landscaping, lawn service, or groundskeeping work.
- Direct or perform mixing or application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
- Train workers in tasks such as transplanting or pruning trees or shrubs, finishing cement, using equipment, or caring for turf.
- Identify diseases or pests affecting landscaping and order appropriate treatments.
- Prepare service estimates based on labor, material, and machine costs and maintain budgets for individual projects.
- Inventory supplies of tools, equipment, or materials to ensure that sufficient supplies are available and items are in usable condition.
- Perform personnel-related activities, such as hiring workers, evaluating staff performance, or taking disciplinary actions when performance problems occur.
- Maintain required records, such as personnel information or project records.
- Provide workers with assistance in performing duties as necessary to meet deadlines.
- Prepare or maintain required records, such as work activity or personnel reports.
- Investigate work-related complaints to verify problems and to determine responses.
- Perform administrative duties, such as authorizing leaves or processing time sheets.
- Confer with other supervisors to coordinate work activities with those of other departments or units.
- Review contracts or work assignments to determine service, machine, or workforce requirements for jobs.
- Direct or assist workers engaged in the maintenance or repair of equipment, such as power tools or motorized equipment.
- Order the performance of corrective work when problems occur and recommend procedural changes to avoid such problems.
- Confer with managers or landscape architects to develop plans or schedules for landscaping maintenance or improvement.
- Recommend changes in working conditions or equipment used to increase crew efficiency.
- Answer inquiries from current or prospective customers regarding methods, materials, or price ranges.
- Install or maintain landscaped areas, performing tasks such as removing snow, pouring cement curbs, or repairing sidewalks.
- Design or supervise the installation of sprinkler systems, calculating water pressure, or valve and pipe coverage needs.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Grounds maintenance workers
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
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