First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Design or supervise the installation of sprinkler systems, calculating water pressure, or valve and pipe coverage needs.
• 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.
• Review contracts or work assignments to determine service, machine, or workforce requirements for jobs.
• Plant or maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, or pruning.
• Plant or maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, or pruning.
• Plant or maintain vegetation through activities such as mulching, fertilizing, watering, mowing, or pruning.
• Direct or perform mixing or application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides.
• Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications, standards, and contract requirements.
• Order the performance of corrective work when problems occur and recommend procedural changes to avoid such problems.
• Prepare or maintain required records, such as work activity or personnel reports.
• Perform administrative duties, such as authorizing leaves or processing time sheets.
• Identify diseases or pests affecting landscaping and order appropriate treatments.
• Direct activities of workers who perform duties, such as landscaping, cultivating lawns, or pruning trees and shrubs.
• Install or maintain landscaped areas, performing tasks such as removing snow, pouring cement curbs, or repairing sidewalks.
• Negotiate with customers regarding fees for landscaping, lawn service, or groundskeeping work.
• Confer with other supervisors to coordinate work activities with those of other departments or units.
• Tour grounds, such as parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, or golf courses, to inspect conditions of plants and soil.
• Monitor project activities to ensure that instructions are followed, deadlines are met, and schedules are maintained.
• Recommend changes in working conditions or equipment used to increase crew efficiency.
• Maintain required records, such as personnel information or project records.
• Prepare service estimates based on labor, material, and machine costs and maintain budgets for individual projects.
• Direct or assist workers engaged in the maintenance or repair of equipment, such as power tools or motorized equipment.
• Answer inquiries from current or prospective customers regarding methods, materials, or price ranges.
• Order the performance of corrective work when problems occur and recommend procedural changes to avoid such problems.
• Investigate work-related complaints to verify problems and to determine responses.
• Design or supervise the installation of sprinkler systems, calculating water pressure, or valve and pipe coverage needs.
• Train workers in tasks such as transplanting or pruning trees or shrubs, finishing cement, using equipment, or caring for turf.
• Perform personnel-related activities, such as hiring workers, evaluating staff performance, or taking disciplinary actions when performance problems occur.
• Confer with managers or landscape architects to develop plans or schedules for landscaping maintenance or improvement.
• Inventory supplies of tools, equipment, or materials to ensure that sufficient supplies are available and items are in usable condition.

Skills

• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.

Abilities

• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

Knowledge

• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• 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.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• 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.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• 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.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

Less than 5 years work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

• Centralia College
  600 Centralia College Blvd., Centralia WA 98531-4099
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-736-9391
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.centralia.edu/
  Program Name
  Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Certificates of less than 12 weeks
  Save

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• Edmonds College
  20000 68th Ave W, Lynnwood WA 98036
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 425-640-1459
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.edmonds.edu/
  Program Name
  Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save
  Program Name
  Landscaping and Groundskeeping
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Associate's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Plant Nursery Operations and Management
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Highline College
  2400 S 240th St, Des Moines WA 98198-9800
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-878-3710
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.highline.edu/
  Program Name
  Landscaping and Groundskeeping
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

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• Lake Washington Institute of Technology
  11605 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland WA 98034-8506
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 425-739-8100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.lwtech.edu/
  Program Name
  Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save

  ---

• Peninsula College
  1502 E Lauridsen Blvd, Port Angeles WA 98362
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-452-9277
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://pencol.edu/
  Program Name
  Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Save

  ---

• South Seattle College
  6000 16th Ave SW, Seattle WA 98106-1499
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-934-5300
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://southseattle.edu/
  Program Name
  Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save
  Program Name
  Landscaping and Groundskeeping
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

  ---

• Spokane Community College
  1810 North Greene Street, Spokane WA 99217-5399
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-533-8400
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://scc.spokane.edu/
  Program Name
  Greenhouse Operations and Management
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save
  Program Name
  Turf and Turfgrass Management
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Ornamental Horticulture
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

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• Tacoma Community College
  6501 S 19th St, Tacoma WA 98466-6100
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 253-566-5000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.tacomacc.edu/
  Program Name
  Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
  Length
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks
  Award Level
  Certificates of less than 12 weeks, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save

  ---

• Walla Walla Community College
  500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla WA 99362-9267
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-522-2500
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.wwcc.edu/
  Program Name
  Turf and Turfgrass Management
  Length
  2 years
  Award Level
  Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save
  Program Name
  Golf Course Operation and Grounds Management
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save

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• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Turf and Turfgrass Management
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Landscaping and Groundskeeping
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Plant Nursery Operations and Management
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

69060/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

33.2/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

5,600

Yearly Projected Openings

700

Personality

Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Leadership
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Cooperation
• Self Control
• Attention to Detail

Tools

• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Agricultural tractors
• Articulating boom lift
• Axes
• Backhoes
• Chain saw
• Claw hammer
• Cultivators
• Cutting machines
• Desktop computers
• Disks
• Dump trucks
• Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
• Flatbed trailers
• Forestry saws
• Forklifts
• Garden forks
• Graders or land levelers
• Grease guns
• Hand sprayers
• Hedge clippers
• Hoes
• Lawnmowers
• Levels
• Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
• Measuring wheels for distance
• Mower parts or accessories
• Personal computers
• Picks
• Planters
• Power blowers
• Power drills
• Power trimmers
• Pressure or steam cleaners
• Rakes
• Saws
• Screwdrivers
• Shovels
• Skid steer loaders
• Snowplow attachments
• Socket sets
• Spades
• Special purpose telephones
• Sprayers
• Trenching machines
• Two way radios
• Vacuum cleaners
• Water sprinklers
• Wheel loaders
• Wheelbarrows

Technology

• Data base user interface and query software
• Electronic mail software
• Inventory management software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Time accounting software
• Web page creation and editing software
• Word processing software