Landscape Installation
A career you're really going to dig!
 
If you're good at working with your hands or enjoy bringing ideas (both conventional and wacky) to life, then a job in landscape installation would suit you well. Landscape installers (a.k.a. landscape contractors) implement the design plans created by landscape designers and architects by installing plant and hardscape materials.
 
Just as landscape designers do work for homes, offices, parks, malls and more, so do landscape installers. The work of landscape installers can be seen everywhere, including home gardens, amusement parks and outdoor shopping centers.
 
In order to secure these projects, landscape installers can either bid on a job (propose the cost based on time and materials) or work closely with a landscape designer throughout the entire design process. Either way, landscape installers are responsible for breathing life into the ideas put on paper.


Click on a Career Path below...

  • Plants absorb pollutants and block noise levels. According to PLANET, a cypress hedge planted 2-feet thick along the front of a property will reduce street noise by 5 decibels.

  • The city of Valdosta, Georgia tried everything from incentives to restoring the facades of buildings only to find that $9 million in landscaping was what really brought shoppers to the district and encouraged them to spend more time there – which in turn brought more shops. -- Lucinda Harper, The Wall Street Journal



Technician

Duties:
  • Prepare installation site
  • Operate power equipment (such as tractors, chainsaws, sod cutters and bobcats)
  • Install plants, landscape lighting, and hardscape features (including retaining walls, paving stones and ponds)
  • Haul and spread topsoil, stone, mulch and other landscape materials
  • Operate tools, including rakes, shovels, saws, axes and shears
  • Rake leaves and prune shrubs as needed
Education:
  • High school education preferred
  • Two-year technical college certificate a bonus
  • Training and certification provided by employer, but experience is helpful
Pay:
  • Seasonal positions: $10 to $23 per hour
  • Full-time, year-round positions: $21,000 to $88,000 per year (plus benefits)
Foreman

Duties:
  • Review landscape plan with designer
  • Manage work schedules and allocate equipment
  • Provide project estimates to clients
  • Supervise crews
  • Maintain positive client relations
  • Maintain company safety and time records
Education:
  • High school diploma
  • Two-year technical college certificate a bonus
  • Training and certification provided by employer, but experience is helpful
Pay:
  • Seasonal positions: $10 to $23 per hour
  • Full-time, year-round positions: $21,000 to $88,000 per year (plus benefits)
Manager

Duties:
  • Direct all aspects of landscape installation operations
  • Create and manage operating budget
  • Assist in employee recruitment and hiring
  • Manage employees and oversee scheduling
  • Manage training materials and procedures
  • Maintain client relations and resolve issues in a timely manner
Education:
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Industry certifications encouraged
  • 5+ years of experience preferred
Pay:
  • Seasonal positions: $10 to $23 per hour
  • Full-time, year-round positions: $21,000 to $88,000 per year (plus benefits)
Additional Career Possibilities
Salesperson or Marketing Specialist
Quality Control Specialist
Production Scheduler
Customer Service
Business Owner








AmericanHort AAHS National Association of Landscape Professionals