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The differences between gardeners and grounds people can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a gardener and a grounds person. Additionally, a grounds person has an average salary of $33,955, which is higher than the $32,912 average annual salary of a gardener.
The top three skills for a gardener include GRASS, mowing and hand tools. The most important skills for a grounds person are ladders, PPE, and CDL.
| Gardener | Grounds Person | |
| Yearly salary | $32,912 | $33,955 |
| Hourly rate | $15.82 | $16.32 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 5,411 | 37,122 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 person is responsible for the overall upkeep of an institution's grounds, public parks, and other similar areas. They are usually employed in schools, especially in schools with provisions for outdoor sports or lawn sports such as soccer, golf, tennis, and football, among others. A grounds person is in charge of the maintenance of the grass on the lawn, of the repairs and maintenance of fixtures such as lights, benches, and fountains, and even of the cleanliness of the area. As such, it is expected that a grounds person is familiar with taking care of plants, conducting routine maintenance work, and repairing fixtures.
Gardeners and grounds people have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Gardener | Grounds Person | |
| Average salary | $32,912 | $33,955 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $47,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | Waltham, MA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | Schnitzer Steel |
| Best paying industry | Media | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a gardener and a grounds person in terms of educational background:
| Gardener | Grounds Person | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Most common major | Plant Sciences | General Studies |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between gardeners' and grounds people' demographics:
| Gardener | Grounds Person | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 2.2% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |