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The differences between golf course superintendents and grounds maintenance supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a golf course superintendent and a grounds maintenance supervisor. Additionally, a golf course superintendent has an average salary of $38,861, which is higher than the $31,800 average annual salary of a grounds maintenance supervisor.
The top three skills for a golf course superintendent include mowing, GRASS and course maintenance. The most important skills for a grounds maintenance supervisor are mowing, GRASS, and hand tools.
| Golf Course Superintendent | Grounds Maintenance Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $38,861 | $31,800 |
| Hourly rate | $18.68 | $15.29 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 12,772 | 63,289 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Golf course superintendents are skilled professionals who are responsible for providing care and maintenance to the golf courses they are working for. These superintendents must supervise a team of staff members to coordinate work schedules for landscaping and maintaining the golf course grounds. They are required to manage irrigation systems by providing reports on the retaining ponds and other water source usage. Gold course superintendents must also provide technical and safety training for their employees when operating machinery and power equipment.
The grounds maintenance supervisor is in charge of the maintenance and landscape crew. These are people who mow lawns, trim overgrown shrubs, irrigate planting beds, and perform a host of other outdoor maintenance tasks. Your job will be to supervise them and ensure that the grounds are attractive and orderly. Grounds could either be sports grounds, gardens, lawns, parks, businesses, or urban infrastructure.
Golf course superintendents and grounds maintenance supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Golf Course Superintendent | Grounds Maintenance Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $38,861 | $31,800 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $67,000 | Between $24,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Clifton, NJ | Orcutt, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Middlebury College | Kern Community College District |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a golf course superintendent and a grounds maintenance supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Golf Course Superintendent | Grounds Maintenance Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Applied Horticulture | Business |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | Pennsylvania State University |
Here are the differences between golf course superintendents' and grounds maintenance supervisors' demographics:
| Golf Course Superintendent | Grounds Maintenance Supervisor | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 1.3% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 1.3% White, 68.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |