Is your child interested in hardscaping? Learn more about this growing industry.
From manufacturing to installation, there are jobs in the hardscaping industry that suit your child’s strengths and pay well.
Career Paths
View three possible career paths in the hardscaping industry: installation, sales, and manufacturing. Take our quiz to find out where your child’s skills and interests fit best.
Installation Career
Sales Career
Manufacturing Career
Go to College or Enter the Workforce?
What does life look like after high school or college? What types of careers interest your child?
Few young adults know exactly what their professional journey looks like. For those who love the outdoors, problem-solving, and working with people, a career in hardscaping is a great choice. There’s a place for your child in this industry whether they choose to learn in college or on the job.
College
Workforce
Mythbusting
The hardscape industry includes installers, small and large contracting companies, scientists, engineers, managers and executives, manufacturers, architects and design professionals. All of these roles come together to provide services for homeowners, businesses, government entities and the environment. Let’s take a look at some of the myths surrounding the hardscape industry:
▾ Myth 1: You’ll never earn a good income as a hardscape professional.
Hardscape professionals are well-compensated for their expertise and skills. Managers, executives, sales professionals, and others often earn over $100,000 per year. Commitment, drive, and dedication are rewarded in the hardscape industry!
▾ Myth 2: Hardscape jobs are all dirty and involve a lot of physical labor.
There are many job roles within the hardscape industry. Some jobs involve physical work, but there’s a lot more that defines the industry and its professionals. Many entry-level workers without training start in the field, learning the foundation of hardscaping, but they are supported by specialized equipment and technology. Those who are promoted and those who enter the industry with training and skills may be involved in design, sales, administration, and management.
▾ Myth 3: There are no career advancement opportunities in the industry.
There are tremendous opportunities for advancement in the hardscape industry. Those entering the field who have a strong work ethic and master their responsibilities often earn supervisory opportunities and continue to progress throughout their career. This industry rewards those who demonstrate the right aptitudes and commitment.
▾ Myth 4: The industry is low tech.
Technology plays a significant role in the work done in the hardscape industry. From mechanical installation machines to computer aided design (CAD), technology helps hardscape professionals do their jobs.
▾ Myth 5: A college degree is wasted in the hardscape industry.
Hardscape firms are business that require talented, trained professionals with education in fields like business, chemistry, finance, and more. Most professionals believe their degree has helped advance their career.
▾ Myth 6: Working as a hardscape professional is not a job in which you can have pride.
The work done by hardscape professionals helps create beauty and can help the environment too! Families can gather on a hardscaped yard to enjoy a barbecue, sit by the fire pit, or hang out at the pool. Hardscape walkways are a beautiful addition to a home. And permeable pavements help the environment by reducing surface runoff and filtering stormwater. Hardscape professionals create lasting beauty that makes a difference in their customers’ lives.