Outdoor careers
Outdoor Careers: From Office to Outdoors
Thinking of leaving a desk job for landscaping, gardening or groundskeeping? Real job data, practical guides, free project calculators, and help with your resume.
From office to outdoors
Some people spend years at a desk and then want work they can see at the end of the day: a finished patio, a planted border, a lawn that looks cared for. This section is for anyone weighing that switch into landscaping, gardening or groundskeeping.
We keep it practical and honest: real job data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, guides on making the move, free calculators for planning real projects, and help rewriting your resume for outdoor roles.
The job market in numbers
- 1,299,200jobs for grounds maintenance workers in 2025
- +5%projected growth, 2025 to 2035 (average for all jobs: 3%)
- 162,500openings projected each year, on average
- $40,080median pay per year ($19.27 an hour), May 2025
- $50,980median pay for all U.S. workers, May 2025, for comparison
- 20%of grounds maintenance workers are self-employed
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Grounds Maintenance Workers (last modified September 14, 2026).
Be realistic
BLS notes that most grounds maintenance work is done outdoors in all weather, some jobs are seasonal, and the work may be repetitive and physically demanding. The median pay is below the median for all workers, so for many office workers this is a pay cut, at least at first.
Start here
- Career-change guideOffice to outdoors: a career-change planA reality check, transferable skills, how to try it first, and how to rewrite your resume.
- Career guideHow to become a landscaperTraining, licenses, honest pay and a first 90 days plan.
- Data guideLandscaping pay and job outlookBLS pay by role and industry, growth and openings.
Tools to plan real projects
Estimating materials is part of the job. Try the same sums landscapers do:
- Landscaping and gardenMulch CalculatorCubic yards and bags for beds and tree rings, with a top-up option.
- Landscaping and gardenGravel CalculatorPaths, drives and gravel beds: cubic yards, tons and bags, one layer at a time.
- Concrete and hardscapeConcrete CalculatorSlabs, patios and round footings: cubic yards and 40, 60 or 80 lb bags.
- Decking and roofingDeck Board CalculatorHow many deck boards to buy, with gaps and the last-board cut.
- Decking and roofingRoof Pitch CalculatorPitch, angle, slope factor and roof area from a rise and run.
- MeasuringSquare Footage CalculatorRooms, patios and yards: add and subtract simple shapes.
Your resume for the switch
Changing fields means presenting your experience in a new way. These CareerGain resources can help:
- Career Switch Tips: reframe transferable skills for a new field.
- How to Use the Occupational Outlook Handbook: research pay, training and outlook for any U.S. job.
- 10 Resume Summary Examples: clear, simple summaries you can adapt.