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The differences between gardeners and irrigation technicians 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 an irrigation technician. Additionally, an irrigation technician has an average salary of $35,472, 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 an irrigation technician are golf courses, trenchers, and sprinkler heads.
| Gardener | Irrigation Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,912 | $35,472 |
| Hourly rate | $15.82 | $17.05 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 5,411 | 27,291 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| 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.
An irrigation technician is responsible for installing, testing, and maintaining irrigation equipment such as sprinklers, suction valves, and pumps. Typical duties for this position include operating heavy machinery for trenching, installing wiring systems for irrigation timers, and inspecting equipment for a day's work. In addition, an irrigation technician may be required to travel to the client's location to install, test, or perform preventative maintenance of irrigation equipment. You are also expected to dig trenches and install lines and pipes and troubleshoot and replace faulty parts.
Gardeners and irrigation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Gardener | Irrigation Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,912 | $35,472 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $47,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | Concord, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | UC Santa Barbara | San Diego College of Continuing Education |
| Best paying industry | Media | Construction |
There are a few differences between a gardener and an irrigation technician in terms of educational background:
| Gardener | Irrigation Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Plant Sciences | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between gardeners' and irrigation technicians' demographics:
| Gardener | Irrigation Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6% | Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9% |
| 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, 9.0% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 26.0% Asian, 2.0% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |