Landscaper
Build and look after gardens, parks and outdoor spaces: paths, walls, lawns, planting and water features, working outdoors in all weathers.
- Salary£26,000 – £38,000
- Hours38 to 42 hours a week, with flexible working that can include weekends
- Working for yourselfSelf-employment is common
What the job is like
Landscapers turn plans into real outdoor spaces. One week you might be laying a patio and building a wall, the next planting borders and turfing a lawn. It is ideal if you like working outside, using tools and machinery, and seeing a big change by the end of the job.
You can start as an assistant with a landscaping firm, through an apprenticeship, or with a college course or T Level. With experience you can supervise projects, move into design, or run your own landscaping business.
What you'll do
- Prepare sites with hand tools and machinery
- Work from plans drawn up by garden designers or landscape architects
- Build paths, patios, walls, water features and rock gardens
- Plant flowers, shrubs and trees and sow or lay lawns
- Order materials and plants for each job
- Advise clients on caring for their new garden or green space
- Keep tools and machinery in good working order
Where you'll work
- Outdoors
- In customers' homes
- In a team
Skills and hobbies that help
Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.
Key skills
Used a lot
Handy to have
Hobbies that give you a head start
How to become a landscaper
Apprenticeship
Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Level 2 apprenticeship (typically about 24 months), then Horticulture or Landscaping Supervisor Level 3
T Level
T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production (usually 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 including English and maths)
College
Courses in practical horticulture or landscape construction; entry requirements vary
Direct application
No set requirements, but employers usually want some gardening or horticulture knowledge; you could start as an assistant landscaper
Other ways in
Royal Horticultural Society courses and qualifications
Where it can lead
- Landscape supervisor or manager
- Horticulture and Landscaping Technical Manager Level 5 apprenticeship for a management role
- Specialising in landscape design
- Running your own landscaping business, or training landscapers at a land-based college
Good to know
- The work is physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers
- The National Careers Service flags landscaping as a potential green job, for example using peat-free compost and electric tools
- The British Association of Landscape Industries offers membership for professional development
Courses and training
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T Level
Find a T Level near you – T Levels (Department for Education)
Two-year technical courses for 16 to 19 year olds in England, with an industry placement of at least 315 hours. Search for schools and colleges offering the T Level you want.
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Apprenticeship search
Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK
The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.
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Course search
Find a course – National Careers Service
The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.
Official information
- National Careers Service landscaper profile
- Horticulture or landscape construction operative apprenticeship
- Horticulture or landscaping supervisor apprenticeship
- Horticulture and landscaping technical manager apprenticeship
- T Levels
- British Association of Landscape Industries
- GoLandscape
- RHS careers in horticulture
Sources
We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.
- National Careers Service: Landscaper nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/landscaper
- Skills England apprenticeship: Horticulture or landscape construction operative (Level 2) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0225-v1-2
- Skills England apprenticeship: Horticulture or landscaping supervisor (Level 3) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0226-v1-2
- Skills England apprenticeship: Horticulture and landscaping technical manager (Level 5) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0924-v1-0