Robot mowers are now common on lawns and sports fields, and apps can identify plants and plan a garden from a photo. Landscaping still means working outdoors with soil, water, plants and weather, and with clients who want their space to look a certain way.
The short answer: current evidence does not point to AI replacing landscapers. The ILO's 2025 index rates gardeners and garden laborers as not exposed to generative AI, with scores of 0.12 to 0.18. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 5 percent growth for grounds maintenance workers from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 162,500 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed landscapers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Gardeners, Horticultural and Nursery Growers | Not exposed | 0.18 |
| Garden and Horticultural Labourers | Not exposed | 0.12 |
The ILO index measures generative AI, not robot mowers or other machines.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Grounds maintenance workers | Grow 5% | About 162,500 |
The BLS links demand to replacing workers who leave and to communities creating more green spaces in urban areas.
Where AI is helping landscapers
- Robot mowers for regular lawn cutting.
- Plant and disease identification from photos.
- Design mockups and plant lists for clients.
- Quotes, routes, scheduling and invoices.
What stays with the landscaper
- Grounds work: mowing, edging, weeding, mulching and watering.
- Plants: trimming hedges, shrubs and small trees and treating plants and soil safely.
- Design and build: turning a client's idea into a space that works on real ground.
- Checking AI help: plant IDs and treatment suggestions can be confidently wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Landscaping businesses increasingly use software for quotes and routes and machines for routine mowing. Plant knowledge, design and hands-on work stay central.
See also will AI replace farmers?, will AI replace janitors? and jobs safe from AI
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for grounds maintenance workers at $40,080 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The BLS says the education needed to enter varies; its profile explains the routes in. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace landscapers?
Not on current evidence. The ILO rates gardeners and garden laborers not exposed to generative AI, and the BLS projects 5 percent growth for grounds maintenance workers from 2025 to 2035.
Will robot mowers replace landscapers?
They take on some routine mowing, but trimming, planting, treatments and design still need people.
How many grounds maintenance openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 162,500 openings a year.
What landscaping work stays human?
Grounds care, plant work, design and building, and checking AI plant and treatment advice.