Skip to content

Leisure

Swap to Sports or Tourism or go back to all job sectors or go to green jobs

Landscaper Green Job

Landscapers create and maintain gardens, parks and other outdoor areas.

Annual Salary

£20,000 to £26,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

38 to 42 a week

You could work: weekends; flexibly

1.8%
Future employment

There will be 1.8% more Landscaper jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

As a landscaper, you could:

  • prepare sites for landscaping, using tools and machinery
  • work from a plan made by a garden designer or landscape architect
  • plant flowers, shrubs and trees, order supplies and sow lawns
  • build paths, walls, water features and rock gardens
  • advise clients on how to look after their green spaces

Possible green job

This job could help the environment.

For a landscaper to be a green job, you could:

  • work with peat-free compost which is more environmentally friendly
  • use electric rather than petrol power tools
  • recycle rainwater to use when watering plants

Find out more about green careers

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work in a garden, at a client's business, at a client's home or at a garden centre.

Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly
  • a specialist training course
College

You could take a college course to get some of the skills you might need as a landscaper. For example:

  • practical horticulture
  • landscape construction
  • T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Landscape or Horticulture Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These take between 2 and 3 years to complete.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work

You could start as an assistant landscaper with a company and work your way up through training and promotion.

It might be helpful to have some related work experience when you apply for jobs.

Direct application

There are no set requirements to be a landscaper. Most employers will expect you to have some knowledge and experience in gardening or horticulture.

Other routes

You could take a course with The Royal Horticultural Society to learn more about the industry or do a qualification that may help you to get a job.

More information

Professional and industry bodies

You can apply to become a member of the British Association of Landscape Industries for professional development.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a landscaper from:The Royal Horticultural Society; GoLandscape

Showing jobs in:
View all vacancies in this region

With experience you could:do a Horticulture and Landscaping Technical Manager Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship to progress into a management role; become a landscape supervisor or landscape manager; set up your own landscaping business; specialise in landscape design; train future landscapers at a land-based college or training provider

How does this job help to address the impacts of climate change and protect wildlife and nature in the West of England?

Landscapers and Gardeners are needed to help improve the quality and connectivity of existing green spaces, as well as helping to create new spaces for nature and wildlife across the West of England. This may include working on tree planting schemes, public parks and private garden maintenance

There are several different routes you can take to get into working as an landscaper which you can explore further in the 'Routes into this job' section above. 

Click here for an explanation of the different course and apprenticeship levels.

Examples of post-16 courses you could study at local schools or colleges

  • Level 2 T-level Transition Horticuture at Bridgewater and Taunton College
  • T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production at Bridgewater and Taunton College
  • Level 3 Sustainable Futures at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Click here to find a local provider

Apprenticeships you may be able to take with local employers

  • Level 2 Horticulture or landscape construction operative
  • Level 2 Landscape Gardener Apprentice 
  • Level 3 Landscape technician  
  • Level 3 Landscape or horticulture supervisor

Click here to search for a local apprenticeship

Local employers 

  • Bristol Council
  • North Somerset Council
  • Bath and North East Somerset Council
  • South Gloucestershire Council

As a landscaper/gardener you could work for one of the many small landscaping companies in the West of England region, or you might set yourself up to work as a self employed contractor. 

For more local employment opportunities see the 'Live job vacancies by region' section above.

Video stories related to this job

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
  • customer service skills
  • ambition and a desire to succeed
  • physical fitness and endurance
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
My top 5 skills
Please sign in to compare your skills to this job. Sign in

To save or view your choices and results you must sign in or register (takes 1 minute).

Sign in Register