People Team AI Ask about a date

How exposed to AI is a Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker?

Of the 27 tasks O*NET lists for landscaping and groundskeeping workers, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 25 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
GardenerGreenskeeperGrounds Maintenance WorkerGrounds PersonGrounds SpecialistGrounds WorkerGroundskeeperLandscape SpecialistLandscape TechnicianOutside Maintenance Worker
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
27
tasks rated for this occupation
18%
hold a degree, from a survey of 29
892k
people do this job in the US
7 of 8
least protected in cleaning and grounds

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Only with software built on top

2
  • Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, burial sites, or other grounds features
  • Advise customers on plant selection or care

Cannot be sped up

25
  • Gather and remove litter
  • Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes
  • Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws
  • Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans
  • Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws
  • Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders
  • Care for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls
  • Follow planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage
  • Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds
  • Attach wires from planted trees to support stakes
  • Plant seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees, or shrubs, and apply mulch for protection, using gardening tools
  • Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers
  • Rake, mulch, and compost leaves
  • Decorate gardens with stones or plants
  • Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste
  • Shovel snow from walks, driveways, or parking lots, and spread salt in those areas
  • Maintain irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring
  • Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens
  • Maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches, using hand or power tools
  • Care for artificial turf fields, periodically removing the turf and replacing cushioning pads or vacuuming and disinfecting the turf after use to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria
  • Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment
  • Care for natural turf fields, making sure the underlying soil has the required composition to allow proper drainage and to support the grasses
  • Haul or spread topsoil, or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place
  • Mark design boundaries, and paint natural or artificial turf fields with team logos or names before events
  • Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET 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. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.