First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers vs Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation: $58K vs $46K Median Pay

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers vs Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation: what changes?

Consider First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers if you want to directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in landscaping or groundskeeping activities. Consider Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation if you would rather mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or crops. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers and Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

National median pay (2025): $58,430
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 23,900

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers brief

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

National median pay (2025): $46,340
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Mix pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides for application to trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 3,300

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation brief

How the national numbers differ

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers has the edge on annual openings

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers is at 23,900 annual openings, compared with 3,300 annual openings for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation.

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers has the edge on median pay

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers is at $58,430, compared with $46,340 for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation.

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers has the edge on projected growth

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers is at 4% projected growth, compared with 3.9% projected growth for Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation.

60.5/ 100

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

46.6/ 100

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers vs Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

Dimension	First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers	Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
Median pay (2025)	$58,430	$46,340
Pay percentile	44.5 percentile	21.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	4%	3.9%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	23,900	3,300
2025 employment	243,300	25,700
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers brief Read Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation brief

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers vs Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

How the national numbers differ

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers has the edge on annual openings

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers has the edge on projected growth

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers vs Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation

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