Office to Outdoors: A Career-Change Plan

1. A reality check

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups landscapers, groundskeepers, tree trimmers and pesticide applicators as grounds maintenance workers. Its latest figures:

• Median pay: $40,080 a year ($19.27 an hour) in May 2025. The median for all U.S. workers was $50,980.
• For landscaping and groundskeeping workers specifically, the median was $18.82 an hour. The lowest 10% of grounds maintenance workers earned less than $15.01 an hour, and the highest 10% more than $28.10.
• About 1,299,200 jobs in 2025, projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3% average for all occupations, with about 162,500 openings a year.
• Most work is outdoors in all weather; some jobs are seasonal, with more hours in spring, summer and fall; the work may be repetitive and physically demanding.
• BLS says grounds maintenance work may be dangerous, and that tree trimmers and pruners have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations, so safety training and protective gear matter.

Source for all figures in this guide unless noted: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Grounds Maintenance Workers.

For many office workers that means less pay, at least at first, in exchange for physical, visible, outdoor work. Go in with your eyes open.

2. What the work involves

BLS lists typical duties such as mowing, edging and fertilizing lawns; weeding and mulching beds; trimming hedges and shrubs; planting flowers, trees and shrubs; watering; and monitoring plant health. Some landscaping workers also build hardscapes such as walkways, patios and decks, or help install lighting and sprinkler systems.

Estimating materials is part of the job. You can practice with our free mulch calculator, concrete calculator and square footage calculator.

3. Skills you already have

BLS lists important qualities for grounds maintenance workers. Several map directly onto office experience:

• Communication: BLS says workers must convey information and instructions to clients, customers and supervisors. Client emails, meetings and explaining plans all count.
• Self-motivation: they often work with little supervision. Managing your own workload and deadlines is the same muscle.
• Visualization: imagining how plants and landscaping will look before planting. If you have planned projects, layouts or presentations, say so.

Others you may need to build: physical stamina and strength, and dexterity with tools and equipment. Be honest with yourself about these.

4. Try it before you jump

1. Test the physical side. Spend a few full weekends on real outdoor projects: your own yard, a friend’s, or a community garden.
2. Look at seasonal work. Because some jobs are seasonal and busiest in spring, summer and fall, a seasonal or part-time crew role can be a low-risk trial.
3. Check local pay. BLS points to CareerOneStop for wages by state and area, which can differ a lot from the national figures.
4. Keep your safety net. Plan your budget for a lower or uneven income before you resign.

5. Training, licenses and certification

• Education: BLS says grounds maintenance workers typically do not need a formal educational credential and usually need 1 month or less of on-the-job training.
• Licenses: most states require licensing for workers who apply pesticides. The U.S. EPA sets certification standards for pesticide applicators, and states run the programs. See EPA: Certification standards for pesticide applicators.
• Certification: not required, but BLS says it demonstrates competency and reliability, and points to CareerOneStop for information on certifications.
• Study: BLS notes that prospective workers may benefit from studying landscape design, horticulture or arboriculture.

6. Where it can lead

• Crew leader or supervisor: BLS says workers with more education or several years of experience may become crew leaders or move into other supervisory positions.
• Your own business: some workers use their experience to start their own business, such as a landscaping company. The U.S. Small Business Administration has a free business guide that walks you through planning, launching and managing a small business. It also lists free or low-cost local counseling, such as Small Business Development Centers and SCORE mentors.
• Landscape architect: a different, degree-based route. BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education and a 2025 median pay of $79,870.

7. Rewrite your resume for outdoor roles

Lead with what an outdoor employer cares about: reliability, safety, working with clients, and any hands-on experience. Here is an illustrative before and after for a summary (an example, not a real person):

More help: Career Switch Tips, 10 Resume Summary Examples, and the guide to the Occupational Outlook Handbook for researching any job. When you are ready to apply, tailor each resume to the job post and use its words only for things you have really done. Next guide: How to Become a Landscaper.

FAQ

Keep going

• Career guideHow to become a landscaperTraining, licenses and a first 90 days plan.
• Data guideLandscaping pay and job outlookPay by role and industry, growth and openings.
• Outdoor careersFrom office to outdoorsJob data, guides and tools in one place.
• ToolsProject calculatorsPractice estimating real jobs.

Last checked: September 27, 2026. Figures are from the sources linked above; we will update them when BLS publishes new data.