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The differences between gardeners and grounds maintenance workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a gardener, becoming a grounds maintenance worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a gardener has an average salary of $32,912, which is higher than the $28,562 average annual salary of a grounds maintenance worker.
The top three skills for a gardener include GRASS, mowing and hand tools. The most important skills for a grounds maintenance worker are GRASS, grounds maintenance, and mowing.
| Gardener | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $32,912 | $28,562 |
| Hourly rate | $15.82 | $13.73 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 5,411 | 115,674 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Gardeners are skilled employees who are responsible for monitoring the health of all plants and trees while maintaining the landscape of a garden. These gardeners are required to trim lawns edges while using rakes and brooms to remove lawn clippings and clear other debris from the ground. They need to use various gardening tools to perform basic pruning while neatly shaping bushes and trees to the desired design. Gardeners must also apply liquid fertilizers and chemical control agents to remove weeds and protect the attractiveness of the landscapes.
A grounds maintenance worker makes sure that the grounds of businesses, urban infrastructure, parks, and houses are in order and attractive. These workers provide a functional and pleasant outdoor environment to spaces. They mow, fertilize, and edge lawns. Their tasks may include removing damaged, unwanted, or dead trees in these areas. They also maintain the indoor plantings and gardens in public and commercial facilities like hotels, botanical gardens, and malls.
Gardeners and grounds maintenance workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Gardener | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Average salary | $32,912 | $28,562 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $47,000 | Between $23,000 And $35,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Alaska |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | Lakeland Electric |
| Best paying industry | Media | Finance |
There are a few differences between a gardener and a grounds maintenance worker in terms of educational background:
| Gardener | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | Plant Sciences | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between gardeners' and grounds maintenance workers' demographics:
| Gardener | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 28.0% Asian, 1.8% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 4.7% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 2% |