How To Become A Groundman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a groundman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Groundsmen take care of lawns by eliminating weeds, trimming hedges, and maintaining the other plants. A groundsman may also be responsible for planting new flowers and tending a garden. In sports fields, they ensure that the grass is suitable for play.

Groundsmen may be referred to as groundskeepers, greenkeepers, or horticulturists. Depending on employment terms, a groundsman may also perform a landscape architect's work, where they plant decorative hedges and trims them to shape.

A day in a groundsman's life may include removing weeds from sidewalks, trimming edges, picking up litter, and activating the sprinklers. Locations with large grounds may hire more than one groundsman.

To become a groundsman, you need a high-school diploma and extensive on-the-job experience. Some groundsmen take apprenticeship programs to hone their skills and build up experience. You may also complete a one-year-certificate course for additional benefit.

ScoreGroundmanUS Average

Salary

5.0

Avg. Salary $64,471

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.50%

Asian 1.21%

Black or African American 5.91%

Hispanic or Latino 13.87%

Unknown 3.04%

White 74.48%

Gender

female 4.54%

male 95.46%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.7

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a groundman

Explore groundman education requirements

Most common groundman degrees

High School Diploma

54.6 %

Bachelor's

13.3 %

Associate

12.4 %

Start to develop specific groundman skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	17.22%
Safety Rules	13.09%
Physical Labor	10.81%
CDL	8.92%
Customer Service	7.71%

Complete relevant groundman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New groundmen learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a groundman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real groundman resumes.

Research groundman duties and responsibilities

Operate chain saws, pruners, brush chippers, and climb trees using climbing equipment.
Work on grind grid, install pedestals, switches, breakers, bus, center tech.
Gain experience with fiber optics, team building, OSHA safety standards, cable and internet systems
Cut down trees using appropriate notches, hinges, and wedges.

Prepare your groundman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your groundman resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a groundman resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable groundman resume templates

Build a professional groundman resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your groundman resume.