Buildings and grounds director vs lead custodian

The differences between buildings and grounds directors and lead custodians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a buildings and grounds director and a lead custodian. Additionally, a buildings and grounds director has an average salary of $45,213, which is higher than the $32,122 average annual salary of a lead custodian.

The top three skills for a buildings and grounds director include plumbing, HVAC and business development. The most important skills for a lead custodian are cleanliness, floor care, and safety procedures.

Buildings and grounds director vs lead custodian overview

	Buildings And Grounds Director	Lead Custodian
Yearly salary	$45,213	$32,122
Hourly rate	$21.74	$15.44
Growth rate	3%	4%
Number of jobs	10,427	10,075
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	High School Diploma, 48%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	2	2

Buildings and grounds director vs lead custodian salary

Buildings and grounds directors and lead custodians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Buildings And Grounds Director	Lead Custodian
Average salary	$45,213	$32,122
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $75,000	Between $23,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Vermont
Best paying company	-	City of Roanoke, Virginia - Government
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between buildings and grounds director and lead custodian education

There are a few differences between a buildings and grounds director and a lead custodian in terms of educational background:

	Buildings And Grounds Director	Lead Custodian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	High School Diploma, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Buildings and grounds director vs lead custodian demographics

Here are the differences between buildings and grounds directors' and lead custodians' demographics:

	Buildings And Grounds Director	Lead Custodian
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2%	Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 3.4% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 3.2% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between buildings and grounds director and lead custodian duties and responsibilities

Buildings and grounds director example responsibilities.

Administer yearly budget, purchase orders and inventory control for the building and grounds department to manage the district assets.
Manage physical plant for rehabilitation hospital, CORF and satelliteclinics.
Maintain grounds by mowing and plant flowers.
Maintain security and safety procedures in compliance with OSHA.
Institutionalize the college's first web base CMMS program.
Upgrade buildings to energy efficient lighting and efficient HVAC systems.

Lead custodian example responsibilities.

Operate equipment including carpet extractors, floor scrubbers, slow/high speeds for stripping/refinishing floors, furniture moving equipment and snow blowers.
Operate power tools, buffers, scrubbers, extractors, vacuums, brooms, mops, to ensure daily cleaning.
Perform repairs, including painting, basic carpentry, and wall repair, minor plumbing and electrical.
Execute minor repairs including furniture assembly, changing ballasts, plumbing, locks, windows, ceiling tiles.
Operate power equipment, scrubber, stripper, carpet extractors, pressure washer, and hand power tools.
Work and train under license / union electricians, learned and field used NEC codes and OSHA safety regulations.

Buildings and grounds director vs lead custodian skills

Common buildings and grounds director skills

Plumbing, 12%
HVAC, 11%
Business Development, 7%
Safety Committee, 7%
Preventative Maintenance, 6%
Capital Projects, 6%

Common lead custodian skills

Cleanliness, 11%
Floor Care, 10%
Safety Procedures, 7%
Ladders, 7%
Minor Maintenance, 5%
Building Maintenance, 3%

Buildings And Grounds Director vs. similar jobs

Buildings And Grounds Director related careers

Buildings And Grounds Director related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Building and Grounds Maintenance Industry
Buildings And Grounds Director
Buildings And Grounds Director vs Lead Custodian

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse building and grounds maintenance jobs