Will AI replace Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers?

Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 26 official task statements scored for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (United States, SOC 37-3011), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 3 out of 100 (range 2–7, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.

Which tasks in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” can AI already do?

The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Advise customers on plant selection or care” (43/100, partial); “Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste” (14/100, minimal); “Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens” (14/100, minimal). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.

Which tasks in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” stay human?

About 97% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws” (0/100, minimal); “Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders” (0/100, minimal); “Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.

What should someone working in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” do about AI?

Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 97% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.

How is the AI exposure score for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers calculated?

Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 26 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

US dataswitch to UK

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

gathering and removing litter, shoveling snow from walks and maintaining irrigation systems. If that's your week, this page is about your job.

The honest answer

AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: using hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers or axes is work software can't reach.

Your move: what you can actually do about this ↓

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 0%
changing shape: 3%
staying human: 97%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

Whole-job exposure score 3 out of 100 (2–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 26 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.

How we know this

What is measured: Every published task statement for landscaping and groundskeeping workers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

What shifts is advising customers on plant selection or care. This page scores what today's tools actually do, not headlines.

Your week, as this page understands it

Landscape or maintain grounds of property using hand or power tools or equipment. Workers typically perform a variety of tasks, which may include any combination of the following: sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation, and installation of mortarless segmental concrete masonry wall units. The job title says “landscaping” or “groundskeeping workers”: officially one job, two names. The real job is the part underneath: using hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers or axes. That is the thing someone has to be right about.

The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But landscaping and groundskeeping workers is not one task. It is 26 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is using hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers or axes, and the ledger below shows exactly why.

Where the work sits, by task weight

shifting to AI: 0%
changing shape: 3%
staying human: 97%

These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.

How we know this

How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.

Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-04. Read the full method.

Your job, task by task

These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.

3 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Shifting to AI

0 tasks

Tasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.

Nothing in this job’s scored task list landed in this group. That is the measurement, not an editorial choice, and it is worth knowing either way.

Changing shape

1 task

Tasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.

Advising customers on plant selection or care
The software now makes the first pass at customers, but the part that matters is a person saying it and standing behind it. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Advise customers on plant selection or care.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 43 out of 100 (36–50 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Plant care information is abundant and well documented, so AI answers most questions, though customers often prefer face-to-face advice.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 4/4.

Staying human

25 tasks

Tasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.

Using hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers or axes
This work happens in the physical world: hand tools, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers, or axes.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Shovels, rakes and saws are used by hand, so this is entirely physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Pruning or trimming trees, shrubs or hedges, using shears, pruners or chain saws
This work happens in the physical world: trees, shrubs or hedges, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Prune or trim trees, shrubs, or hedges, using shears, pruners, or chain saws.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Pruning and trimming means cutting real branches with tools in your hands.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Gathering and removing litter
This work happens in the physical world: litter, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Gather and remove litter.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Picking up and carrying away litter is physical work done on the grounds.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Operating vehicles or powered equipment
This work happens in the physical world: vehicles, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Mowers, tractors and chainsaws have to be operated by someone sitting on or holding them.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Trimming or picking flowers and cleaning flower beds
This work happens in the physical world: flowers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Trim or pick flowers and clean flower beds.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Trimming flowers and clearing beds is done by hand in the garden.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Watering lawns, trees or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses or watering cans
This work happens in the physical world: lawns, trees or plants, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Water lawns, trees, or plants, using portable sprinkler systems, hoses, or watering cans.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Dragging hoses and moving sprinklers around a site is physical outdoor work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Mixing and spraying or spread fertilizers
This work happens in the physical world: spread fertilizers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or trees, using hand or automatic sprayers or spreaders.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Mixing and spraying chemicals onto plants is hands-on outdoor work by a trained applicator.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Following planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod
This work happens in the physical world: planned landscaping designs, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Follow planned landscaping designs to determine where to lay sod, sow grass, or plant flowers or foliage.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Reading the plan is straightforward, but putting sod and plants in the right places happens out on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Planting seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees or shrubs and applying mulch
This work happens in the physical world: seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Plant seeds, bulbs, foliage, flowering plants, grass, ground covers, trees, or shrubs, and apply mulch for protection, using gardening tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Planting and mulching means digging and placing plants by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

Show the other 16 tasks

Using irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: irrigation methods, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Watering schedules can be worked out from data, but adjusting the system happens at the taps and sprinklers.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Planning or cultivating lawns or gardens
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: lawns, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Planting plans can be drawn up from well-documented growing information; the cultivation itself is done by hand outdoors.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Caring for natural turf fields
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: natural turf fields, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Care for natural turf fields, making sure the underlying soil has the required composition to allow proper drainage and to support the grasses.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 8 out of 100 (1–15 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Soil and drainage guidance is well documented, but testing and improving the actual pitch is outdoor hands-on work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Mowing or edging lawns, using power mowers or edgers
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: lawns, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Mow or edge lawns, using power mowers or edgers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Mowing and edging a lawn requires someone operating the machine on the grass.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Shoveling snow from walks, driveways or parking lots and spread salt in those areas
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: snow, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Shovel snow from walks, driveways, or parking lots, and spread salt in those areas.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Shovelling snow and spreading salt is physical outdoor work in the weather.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Caring for established lawns
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: established lawns, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Care for established lawns by mulching, aerating, weeding, grubbing, removing thatch, or trimming or edging around flower beds, walks, or walls.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Mulching, weeding and edging a lawn is physical work done on the ground.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Maintaining or repairing tools, equipment or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences or benches
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: tools, equipment or structures, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, such as buildings, greenhouses, fences, or benches, using hand or power tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Repairing tools, fences and greenhouses means working on them with hand or power tools.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Providing proper upkeep of sidewalks
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: proper upkeep of sidewalks, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Provide proper upkeep of sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, fountains, planters, burial sites, or other grounds features.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Keeping paths, car parks and grounds features in good order is hands-on maintenance work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Raking mulch and compost leaves
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: mulch, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Rake, mulch, and compost leaves.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Raking and composting leaves is outdoor manual work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Decorating gardens with stones or plants
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: gardens, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Core
Source: “Decorate gardens with stones or plants.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Placing stones and plants in a garden is physical outdoor work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Maintaining irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: irrigation systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Supplemental
Source: “Maintain irrigation systems, including winterizing the systems and starting them up in spring.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Draining, protecting and restarting irrigation pipework is hands-on work at the system itself.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Hauling or spreading topsoil or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: topsoil, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Haul or spread topsoil, or spread straw over seeded soil to hold soil in place.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Hauling and spreading topsoil or straw is heavy physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Caring for artificial turf fields
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: artificial turf fields, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Care for artificial turf fields, periodically removing the turf and replacing cushioning pads or vacuuming and disinfecting the turf after use to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Lifting, vacuuming and disinfecting artificial turf is physical work on the pitch.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Attaching wires from planted trees to support stakes
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: wires, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · Core
Source: “Attach wires from planted trees to support stakes.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Tying trees to stakes is done by hand at each tree.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Installing rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters or playground equipment
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Building ponds, decks, walls and drainage is construction work done on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Building forms and mixing and pouring cement to form garden borders
staying human
This work happens in the physical world: forms, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · Supplemental
Source: “Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Building forms and pouring cement is construction work done by hand on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.

What this job pays, and how many people do it

Median pay: $39,150a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
People doing this job: 952,640in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)

What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.

Why this is shifting

The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: customers in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: advising customers on plant selection or care. What it cannot do is be there in the room, and that is still where hand tools get done. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.

Your move

Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend

Start with what does not change: using hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers or axes is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.

So, given all that: 0% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 3% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 97% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 26 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.

So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Advising customers on plant selection or care is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.

This week: one thing

Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to customers, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.

What you end up holding: a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
How long it takes: ten minutes

If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether hand tools are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.

Over the next 90 days

Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near advising customers on plant selection or care. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.

Over the next 12 months

On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.

The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them

I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.

I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to landscaping and groundskeeping workers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse: only about 8% of its durable work is work you already do. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 3/100 here, with only 0% of the task list in the top band, and “use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or…” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.

How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.

3 moves I checked and rejected

These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already maintain or repair tools, equipment, or structures, and their equivalent is to repair farm buildings, fences, and other structures. Across both published task lists that is about 8% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 8% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already mix and spray or spread fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides onto grass, shrubs, or…, and their equivalent is to direct or perform mixing or application of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Across both published task lists that is about 2% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 130,760 of those jobs against 952,640 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 14% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already maintain irrigation systems, and their equivalent is to position and regulate plant irrigation systems, and program environmental and irrigation control computers. Across both published task lists that is about 2% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 2% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. The pay gap is the market pricing a barrier: $89,900 against your $39,150 is 2.30× (OEWS May 2025 (both)), and you would be crossing it holding about 2% of their durable work. A gap that size with an overlap that small is a wish, not a route. And it is a narrow door: about 6,500 of those jobs against 952,640 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 1% as many seats.
Look at that job’s page anyway →

What I’d stop worrying about

A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.

The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 0% of its task weight, across 26 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like using hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers or axes arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.

You are reading the United States figures

The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations n.e.c. is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.

Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match

The other groups this work is counted across:

In UK official statistics this job is counted as Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations n.e.c., Gardeners and landscape gardeners and Horticultural trades. Pay is shown separately for each of those groups (medians cannot be averaged together), while the task list and the scores on this page are for this group only.

Your route through this

Where to go next, and what it costs

Free, and complete

The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.

Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
American Job Center locator
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
- CareerOneStop local help hub
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop
Free

Why there is no community here

Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.

So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.

Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for landscaping / groundskeeping workers launches. Nothing else.

That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.

We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.

No Space for landscaping / groundskeeping workers yet. Should there be one?

Collab365 Spaces is built by the same people as this site. We find the problems that AI and automation are creating inside one kind of work, then solve them as short courses, briefings and Blueprints. Each Space is the community too, so the research and the people doing your job are in the same place.

What a Space actually is, in full

Collab365 launches new communities where the need is real. If one for landscaping / groundskeeping workers existed, with researched problems, courses and people in the same boat, would you want in?

Your email

We use your email address for one thing: to tell you if a Space for landscaping / groundskeeping workers launches. We never sell it, never use it for unrelated marketing, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Our privacy policy has the full version.

This unlocks nothing. Every figure, every row and every step on this page is already yours, whether you fill this in or not.

No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.

Questions people ask about this job

Will AI replace Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers?: Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 26 official task statements scored for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers (United States, SOC 37-3011), 0% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 3 out of 100 (range 2–7, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
Which tasks in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” can AI already do?: The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Advise customers on plant selection or care” (43/100, partial); “Use irrigation methods to adjust the amount of water consumption and to prevent waste” (14/100, minimal); “Plan or cultivate lawns or gardens” (14/100, minimal). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
Which tasks in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” stay human?: About 97% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Operate vehicles or powered equipment, such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws” (0/100, minimal); “Build forms and mix and pour cement to form garden borders” (0/100, minimal); “Install rock gardens, ponds, decks, drainage systems, irrigation systems, retaining walls, fences, planters, or playground equipment” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
What should someone working in “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” do about AI?: Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 0% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 97% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
How is the AI exposure score for Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers calculated?: Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 26 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.

Where these numbers come from

Worth knowing about these figures

The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
3 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.

Task statements: onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
Task weights: onet-db (im-rt)
Scores: Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-04.
Pay and employment: bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))

Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.

The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.

The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.

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Using these figures?

Cite this

Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.

Plain text

Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).

BibTeX

@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
  title        = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
  author       = {{Collab365}},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
  note         = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}

Permalink

https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1

Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.