Landscaper

Typical Salary

£16,000 To £30,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

weekends flexibly

How To Become a Landscaper

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly
specialist courses run by a professional body

College / University

You may find it useful to build up your skills by doing a course, like:

Level 2 Diploma in Horticulture and Amenity Horticulture
Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture
Level 3 Certificate or Diploma in Horticulture

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through a horticulture and landscape operative intermediate apprenticeship, which has 2 options:

horticulture
landscape construction

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

Routes into this Career

You could start as an assistant landscaper and work your way up.

If you have some related work experience, this could help you to get an assistant job.

There are no formal requirements to be a landscaper, but most employers will expect you to have some horticulture knowledge and experience.

Other Routes

The Royal Horticultural Society offers courses which are suitable if you want to learn more about gardening, or if you want to get qualifications that will help you get a job in horticulture.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to work well with others
ambition and a desire to succeed
sensitivity and understanding
physical skills like movement, coordination and dexterity
the ability to work well with your hands
customer service skills
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

On a typical day you may:

discuss clients’ needs
work from plans made by garden designers or landscape architects
order supplies
prepare the ground or interior space
turf and seed lawns
plant and prune trees and shrubs
put in new plants
install features like paving, paths, water features and rock gardens
advise the client on how to look after the space
provide on-going maintenance

Working Environment

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 may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Professional and industry bodies

You can apply for membership of the British Association of Landscape Industries for advice, training support and details of job vacancies.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a landcaper from:

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.