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If you crave the outdoors, staying active, and love to see the results of a hard day's work in front of your eyes, it's possible that landscaping could be a deeply satisfying career – one that might even be perfect for you.
For a lot of people, landscaping remains a wildly misunderstood career. Most view it as short-term, transitional, or even seasonal work – something you do “for now,” or something you do "during the summer."
Many people still don't view landscaping as a "career" you can build a flourishing future around.
Here at Green Ackors Landscaping & Irrigation in Waco, we have a very different mindset.
At our company, landscaping is viewed as a skilled profession with real growth opportunities, long-term stability, and endless room to advance your career – because that's what landscaping can be.
As our company continues to grow across Central Texas, so does the demand for energetic people who want to learn, work hard, and take pride in their work.
As Barry Marusak, our VP of Sales and Marketing at Green Ackors, usually puts it, growth drives opportunity.
“As we get new lawn care customers, the need for management, team leaders, and team members increases,” he mentioned.
In other words, when the company grows, careers grow with it. Is this the right career path for you?
This blog is going to help you dig in (pun intended) to see if you'd be the right fit for a landscaping future.
Table of Contents: What You'll Find Inside This Blog
First Things First: Landscaping Is a Career, Not Just a Job
When most people think about stability, they picture a traditional desk job. There's nothing wrong with that, but landscaping offers something that many traditional jobs can't – visible and tangible results.
No matter what you do as part of a landscaping company, you can usually point directly to a finished project (a living and breathing landscape) and say, "Hey, I helped create that."
For people who like solving problems, working with their hands, and improving real spaces for real people, landscaping offers something special – purpose alongside pay.
Our projects range from lawn care and irrigation to solving drainage problems and transforming underperforming landscapes. We find our staff loves that each property presents a new challenge – something that keeps the work engaging and rewarding over time.
Barry describes this as his favorite part of his job. “I love solving problems for clients,” he told me when we were talking the other day.
“Whether that’s drainage issues, ugly landscaping, or issues with their lawn – we provide real solutions the clients can see.”
Truly seeing a plan come together and watching clients react to the finished result is a big part of what makes this kind of work meaningful.
Career Paths in Landscaping at Green Ackors
One of the biggest advantages of a growing company is opportunity. Our company, Green Ackors, is continuing to expand its client base in and around Waco, which means we're often opening new roles as we scale.
Though every opportunity is different and new types of careers open every day, many career paths in our industry usually include:
- Entry-level lawn care and field positions
- Irrigation and maintenance roles
- Crew leaders and team leads
- Management positions as teams expand
There's no one way to jump into a landscaping career, but here, most people start in hands-on roles and discover new strengths along the way. Some gravitate toward leadership, while others develop technical expertise in areas like irrigation or landscape maintenance.
Because the company is steadily growing, the advancement of careers isn’t limited to a rigid ladder. Career paths are shaped by performance, reliability, and initiative – something we all pay attention to here.
What Skills Actually Matter in Landscaping?
One of the most common questions people ask is whether they need experience to jumpstart a landscaping career.
For us, the answer is pretty clear: experience helps, but it's not necessarily required.
Barry reminded me the other day that for all positions in our company, we're mostly looking for "a great attitude and a strong work ethic. We will teach anyone willing to learn and work hard how to do almost any job in our company.”
That philosophy removes a major barrier for people new to the industry.
Training happens on the job, and team members are encouraged to ask questions, learn techniques, and build confidence over time.
As employees move into leadership roles, industry experience becomes more important.
Of course, college degrees are viewed as a plus, but they aren’t mandatory. What matters most is consistency, reliability, and a willingness to take responsibility.
Growth, Leadership, & Long-Term Potential at Green Ackors
There's a common misconception that once you're in the landscaping world, you're stuck where you are.
But we like to say that landscaping careers don’t plateau if you’re working with the right company. For us, leadership roles are built from within as our teams expand.
That's uniquely beneficial to our business because crew leaders and managers understand the work best – they’ve done it themselves, after all.
This creates a culture where leadership is practical and connected to work in the field. Team members who show initiative in the field often find themselves taking on more responsibility, mentoring others, or managing projects as their own sets of skills develop.
What's most important? Attitude. We always say that attitude continues to matter at every stage. A strong work ethic and a positive approach are often what separate someone who stays in the same role in landscaping from someone who grows into a leadership career.
The Must-Know Benefits of Working in Landscaping
It's no secret that landscaping is a physically demanding career, but it offers rewards that go far beyond a paycheck. Here are just a few of the benefits we see in a career in landscaping:
- The unending variety: No two days look exactly the same. Even if the work is the same, the projects and properties are always different.
- The tangible reward: There's always a sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a project and seeing immediate results.
- The client satisfaction: Watching a client fall head over heels for their project is rewarding. Seeing them love their results always reinforces the value of the work.
- The pride in craftsmanship: Landscaping requires attention to detail, planning, and coordination. Over time, those skills compound, making the work both challenging and fulfilling.
- The everyday problem-solving: Whether it’s addressing drainage issues, improving curb appeal, or correcting long-standing lawn problems, the work challenges you to think critically and apply practical solutions (all skills that grow stronger with experience).
- The physical work with purpose: For people who prefer movement over sitting at a desk all day, landscaping offers a healthy outlet. Staying active, working outdoors, and using your hands can feel energizing, especially when the work is tied to meaningful results.
- The room to advance: With consistency, effort, and a willingness to learn, many professionals move from entry-level roles into leadership, crew management, or specialized positions over time.
- The built-in job stability: Landscapes need ongoing care, irrigation systems need maintenance, and properties need long-term solutions – especially in a growing area like Waco.
- The satisfaction of an outdoorsy job: Not everyone wants an office job, and many paths in landscaping offer a legitimate alternative.
The Challenges: Honesty is the Best Policy About Landscaping Disadvantages
A landscaping career isn’t easy, and the team here doesn’t shy away from that reality. “The hours are long, and the weather isn’t always great,” Barry reminded me when we were talking the other day.
Working outdoors means dealing with Texas heat, changing conditions, and physically demanding tasks. That’s why company culture and support matter so much. We wholeheartedly believe in making sure our team knows they're valued.
To support our employees and their careers, we proudly offer one of the most competitive incentive packages in the area. After one year of employment, team members receive:
- 5 days of paid time off
- 7 paid holidays
As employees stay with the company, their PTO continues to grow. Some team members who have been with Green Ackors for more than 10 years now enjoy nearly four weeks of paid time off. We think that's a reflection of our commitment to rewarding loyalty and growing long-term careers.
Internships and Entry Points Into the Industry
For those unsure whether landscaping is the right fit, we offer approachable ways to get started. We always want to make sure someone has a chance to see if this is the right career path before they dive in headfirst. That's why our process is pretty simple. Interested candidates can call the office or stop by to speak with someone on our management team.
We also support internships for college-aged students who are home for the summer. These internships typically include a mix of field work, job shadowing with management, and research or presentation projects.
This structure gives interns a taste of both the physical and strategic sides of the business to see if either end is interesting to them.
So, Who Thrives in a Landscaping Career?
Landscaping isn’t for everyone – and that’s okay. But for the right person, it can be a fulfilling, long-term profession.
Think this might be a good path for you? Here's a quick litmus test. A landscaping career may be the right fit if you:
- Enjoy working outdoors and staying active
- Don’t mind physical work
- Like solving practical problems
- Take pride in visible results
- Value teamwork and consistency
Though everyone is different, we find that the people who thrive in landscaping often enjoy structure, routine, and responsibility. Over time, the work builds confidence, technical skill, and leadership ability.
Ready to Build a Future With Green Ackors?
We're not just focused on completing projects; we're also deeply invested in building a team that grows together. By investing in training, offering competitive benefits, and promoting from within, the company creates an environment where people can stay and succeed.
For those willing to show up, work hard, and learn, landscaping can become more than a job. It can become a career with stability, growth, and real satisfaction.
If you’re interested in exploring landscaping careers in the Waco area, Green Ackors welcomes the conversation. Sometimes, the first step toward a long-term profession is simply asking the question.
