Central Minnesota is a manufacturing stronghold, with several global manufacturing firms operating there.
The region is especially well known for its expertise in food processing, printing, furniture manufacturing, appliances, machinery and heavy equipment manufacturing.
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7/3/2018 1:00:00 PM
Luke Greiner
As summer is in full glory, landscaping and groundskeeping workers across the state are preening and maintaining the grounds of commercial and residential properties, making them look nice and green. If you enjoy being outdoors, working with your hands, and the satisfaction of a job well done, the landscaping and groundskeeping field might be worth a look. DEED data show that Central Minnesota is home to over 1,250 landscaping and groundskeeping jobs with another 170 jobs supervising landscapers and groundskeepers.
Entering the field can be as easy as getting a summer job mowing lawns, but that’s really just the start. After gaining experience and knowledge, the landscaping and groundskeeping field has opportunities ranging from sod laying, planting and fertilizing, underground irrigation installation, and retaining wall construction.Supervisory opportunities also exist that might focus more on reviewing contracts, providing estimates, and coordinating and supervising the workers who are directly engaged in landscaping and groundskeeping.
According to the most recent Job Vacancy Survey, the median hourly wage offer for landscaping and groundskeeping jobs in Central Minnesota was $14.68, and experienced workers in the field are earning between $11.46 and $16.82 per hour. Moving into a management role means a higher wage, with half of all supervisory jobs paying between $17.66 and $23.92 in the region, with the highest paying 10 percent of jobs paying $29.59 or more (Figure 1).
Typically, no formal education is needed beyond high school to start working in landscaping and groundskeeping jobs; instead on-the-job training and experience provide upward mobility into specialty areas or supervisory roles with higher wages.
These are great summer jobs, but if you thought that landscaping and groundskeeping jobs were only seasonal, think again. Employers in Central Minnesota reported 72 openings in the 4th quarter of 2017, and roughly half were seasonal. That was less than in past surveys, though the percent in the region that were seasonal ranged from 0 percent to 98 percent over the past four years. Likewise about half the openings are full-time, meaning that job opportunities exist for a variety of job seeker needs and schedules.
Contact Luke Greiner at 320-308-5378.
