Career field
Building & Grounds careers
Occupations that clean, maintain, and care for buildings and grounds. CampusPin lists 10 building & grounds occupations, with median pay ranging from $34,660 to $56,170 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
10
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$34,660–$56,170
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$44,070
median of these medians
Most common entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
across 10 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners2,447,700
- Maids and housekeeping cleaners1,356,800
- Landscaping and groundskeeping workers1,192,500
- First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers269,800
- First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers224,700
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- High school diploma or equivalent: 5
- No formal educational credential: 5
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners | $35,930 | 351,300 | +2% | No formal educational credential |
| Maids and housekeeping cleaners | $34,660 | 193,500 | +0.4% | No formal educational credential |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | $38,090 | 158,200 | +3.6% | No formal educational credential |
| First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers | $47,520 | 33,000 | +2.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers | $56,170 | 23,200 | +2.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Pest control workers | $44,730 | 13,400 | +4.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Tree trimmers and pruners | $50,430 | 7,400 | +3.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | $45,200 | 4,100 | +3.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Building cleaning workers, all other | $42,360 | 2,600 | +2.5% | No formal educational credential |
| Grounds maintenance workers, all other | $43,410 | 1,900 | +2.4% | No formal educational credential |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the building & grounds field?
CampusPin lists 10 building & grounds occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers, Tree trimmers and pruners, First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers, Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do building & grounds careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $34,660 to $56,170 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $44,070. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do building & grounds careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is high school diploma or equivalent. 5 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 5 occupations list no formal educational credential.
Which building & grounds careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Pest control workers (+4.9%), Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation (+3.8%), Landscaping and groundskeeping workers (+3.6%), Tree trimmers and pruners (+3.3%), First-line supervisors of housekeeping and janitorial workers (+2.5%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across building & grounds occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.