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How to hire a grounds maintenance worker

Grounds maintenance worker hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring grounds maintenance workers in the United States:

  • There are currently 80,811 grounds maintenance workers in the US, as well as 115,674 job openings.
  • Grounds maintenance workers are in the highest demand in Lakeland, FL, with 10 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a grounds maintenance worker is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new grounds maintenance worker to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a grounds maintenance worker, step by step

To hire a grounds maintenance worker, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a grounds maintenance worker, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step grounds maintenance worker hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a grounds maintenance worker job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new grounds maintenance worker
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a grounds maintenance worker do?

A grounds maintenance worker makes sure that the grounds of businesses, urban infrastructure, parks, and houses are in order and attractive. These workers provide a functional and pleasant outdoor environment to spaces. They mow, fertilize, and edge lawns. Their tasks may include removing damaged, unwanted, or dead trees in these areas. They also maintain the indoor plantings and gardens in public and commercial facilities like hotels, botanical gardens, and malls.

Learn more about the specifics of what a grounds maintenance worker does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your grounds maintenance worker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a grounds maintenance worker for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect grounds maintenance worker also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

    The following list breaks down different types of grounds maintenance workers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Grounds Maintenance WorkerDescriptionHourly rate
    Grounds Maintenance WorkerGeneral maintenance and repair workers fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. They paint, repair flooring, and work on plumbing, electrical, and air-conditioning and heating systems.$11-16
    KeeperA storekeeper is responsible for managing all a store's operations and overseeing the care and maintenance of stocks, including inventory management. Your duties will include receiving, unloading, and shelving supplies, inspecting deliveries for discrepancies and damage, and managing all documentation... Show more$11-23
    LandscaperA landscaper is responsible for maintaining gardens, plant areas, and other outdoor facilities. Landscapers' duties include reviewing and adjusting landscape design based on the clients' specifications, analyzing garden layouts, measuring land areas and surfaces for the design outlines, installing irrigation systems, maintaining plant growth, and applying fertilizers regularly... Show more$11-17
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • GRASS
    • Grounds Maintenance
    • Mowing
    • Hand Tools
    • Mowers
    • Blowers
    • Irrigation Systems
    • Rakes
    • Plumbing
    • Building Maintenance
    • Snow Blowers
    • Athletic Fields
    • Ladders
    • Routine Maintenance
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage hardscape installation team and project
    • Operate hand or power tools and equipment such as: lawn mowers, shovels, snow blowers, rakes and trimmers.
    • Used lawn equipment to maintain grass, trees, flower beds, and paper pickup around the outside of where house.
    • Clean grounds using rakes, brooms, and hoses.
    • Mow, weed whack, rake, mulch, and prune the grounds as needed.
    • Remove weeds, debris and trash, edge, water, mow, prune and trim park landscapes.
    More grounds maintenance worker duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the grounds maintenance worker job description is a good way to get more applicants. A grounds maintenance worker salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a grounds maintenance worker in Alabama may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level grounds maintenance worker. Additionally, a grounds maintenance worker with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average grounds maintenance worker salary

    $13.73hourly

    $28,562 yearly

    Entry-level grounds maintenance worker salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 22, 2025

    Average grounds maintenance worker salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$38,817$19
    2Washington$37,462$18
    3Nevada$34,836$17
    4Wisconsin$32,448$16
    5Vermont$31,986$15
    6Missouri$30,598$15
    7Maryland$29,202$14
    8Colorado$29,133$14
    9Utah$29,092$14
    10North Carolina$28,193$14
    11New York$27,979$13
    12Virginia$26,551$13
    13New Mexico$26,396$13
    14Arizona$26,132$13
    15Florida$26,124$13
    16Indiana$25,597$12
    17Oklahoma$25,310$12
    18Texas$24,765$12
    19Alabama$24,365$12
    20Ohio$24,038$12

    Average grounds maintenance worker salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Lakeland Electric$37,884$18.21
    2Central Valley School District$37,262$17.912
    3Four Seasons$35,459$17.055
    4Santa Rosa City Schools$32,004$15.39
    5Leidos$31,849$15.315
    6Truckee Meadows Community College$31,034$14.92
    7Rialto Unified School District$31,001$14.90
    8PSEA$30,625$14.726
    9Alterra Mountain$30,573$14.701
    10House of Blues$30,518$14.67
    11The State of Oregon$30,300$14.5732
    12Riverside Unified School District$30,260$14.55
    13TRC Companies$30,246$14.541
    14Brea Olinda Unified School District$30,158$14.505
    15TD Garden$30,056$14.45
    16City of El Dorado$30,033$14.44
    17New Leaf Center$29,987$14.42
    18City of Largo$29,913$14.382
    19Las Virgenes Unified School District$29,776$14.32
    20Auberge Resorts Collection$29,754$14.305
  4. Writing a grounds maintenance worker job description

    A good grounds maintenance worker job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a grounds maintenance worker job description:

    Grounds maintenance worker job description example

    1. To prepare fuel as directed for contract equipment; mixing 1 pt. 2 cycle oil to 1 gallon of unleaded gasoline. To fill fuel tanks of weed eaters, edgers and any other equipment needed at the contract site.

    2. To operate weed eaters according to site standards, (beginning at the curb side and working inward). To weed eat around poles, concrete pillars, flower beds, shrubbery, buildings and any other location deemed necessary.

    3. To edge along walks, entrances and streets.

    4. To use blower to remove debris.

    5. To remove weeds from flower beds and to perform trimming and pruning as needed.

    6. To plant vegetation on a periodic basis.

    7. To clean ditches to ensure proper drainage.

    8. To remove trash and other extraneous debris and dispose of properly.

    Skills and Abilities:

    1. Must be able to interact cordially and productively with a variety of people.

    2. Must be able to market Goodwill and explain the mission to the general public.

    3. Must establish and maintain effective working relationships with, and among, contract personnel.

    4. Must be able to read, write and communicate effectively in English.

    5. Must be able to work a flexible schedule on short notice, including nights and weekends, and occasionally, long or extended hours.

    6. Must be able to lift and carry objects up to 10 #=s frequently and 50 #=s occasionally.

    7. Must be able to engage in prolonged standing, walking and in frequent bending, stooping, and stretching and climbing stairs.

    8. Must be able to function in a hectic work environment with occasional periods of high stress.

    9. Must use proper protective equipment.

    Requirements:

    Ability to operate machinery needed to perform essential functions of the job.

    Working Conditions:

    Frequent physical exertion, exposure to inclement weather, temperature variations, equipment fumes and chemicals.

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  5. Post your job

    To find grounds maintenance workers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any grounds maintenance workers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level grounds maintenance workers with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your grounds maintenance worker job on Zippia to find and recruit grounds maintenance worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting grounds maintenance workers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new grounds maintenance worker

    Once you've selected the best grounds maintenance worker candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new grounds maintenance worker. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a grounds maintenance worker?

Recruiting grounds maintenance workers involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $28,562 per year for a grounds maintenance worker, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for grounds maintenance workers in the US typically range between $11 and $16 an hour.

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