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The differences between ground crews 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 ground crew and an irrigation technician. Additionally, an irrigation technician has an average salary of $35,472, which is higher than the $33,390 average annual salary of a ground crew.
The top three skills for a ground crew include mowing, GRASS and snow removal. The most important skills for an irrigation technician are golf courses, trenchers, and sprinkler heads.
| Ground Crew | Irrigation Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $33,390 | $35,472 |
| Hourly rate | $16.05 | $17.05 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 64,779 | 27,291 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Ground crews, also known as ground staff, are personnel that work at the airport. These crews are either avionics technicians, customer service and ramp agents, or flight dispatchers. They service the airline while on the ground. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that the airline runway and gate are both clear from debris or garbage to prevent them from being sucked by the plane's engine. They also inspect the tarmac and take out any items found before the plane's arrival or departure.
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.
Ground crews and irrigation technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Ground Crew | Irrigation Technician | |
| Average salary | $33,390 | $35,472 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $41,000 | Between $27,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Juneau, AK | Concord, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Elcona Pro Shop | San Diego College of Continuing Education |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Construction |
There are a few differences between a ground crew and an irrigation technician in terms of educational background:
| Ground Crew | Irrigation Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between ground crews' and irrigation technicians' demographics:
| Ground Crew | Irrigation Technician | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7% | Male, 96.1% Female, 3.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 1.7% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | 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% |