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What does a ground worker do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read

Groundworkers are part of the construction staff who prepares a site before building. They are responsible for removing the sewage, redirecting water flows using pumps, cementing the project site, and laying the curb. Usually, they provide the tools they need for projects. Groundworkers require basic numeracy because of the nature of their role. They must also be decisive and confident in the quality of their work. Most importantly, this job requires a high level of fitness for safe working in the location.

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Ground worker responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real ground worker resumes:

  • Manage hardscape installation team and project
  • Operate vehicles and power equipment such as mowers, snow blowers, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
  • Aid in the maintenance of equipment as needed (lawn mowers, tractors, weed-eaters, leaf blowers, etc . )
  • Mow rough, greens, fairways, hand water greens, spread seed on greens and fairways, rake sand traps.
  • Used both hand shovels and plow trucks to remove snow.
  • Operate backhoe and bobcat to assist plumbing and irrigation dept.
  • Service air, oil, de-icing, fuel, pneudraulic, and oxygen systems.
  • Operate and maintain equipment including but not limit to: weed eaters, mowers, tractors, etc.
  • Sod laying, mowing, trimming, planting, watering, fertilizing, digging, raking, sprinkler installation.
  • Operate heavy equipment such as lawn mowers, edgers, weed eaters, floor machines, auto scrubbers, etc.
  • Assure mowing, pruning, leaf removal and variety of other tasks involve with the upkeep of the grounds is completed.
  • Maintain professional appearance of greens and fairways
  • Maintain a sanitary environment by following company procedures such as raking grass and garbage removal.
  • Use of chainsaws, wood chippers, forklifts, bobcats and heavy equipment.
  • Operate, maintain and transport PPS 4 , 5 and 15 radar systems.

Ground worker skills and personality traits

We calculated that 12% of Ground Workers are proficient in Mowing, GRASS, and Hand Tools. They’re also known for soft skills such as Physical stamina, Self-motivated, and Customer-service skills.

We break down the percentage of Ground Workers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Mowing, 12%

    Assure mowing, pruning, leaf removal and variety of other tasks involved with the upkeep of the grounds is completed.

  • GRASS, 10%

    Maintained a sanitary environment by following company procedures such as raking grass and garbage removal.

  • Hand Tools, 9%

    Utilized hand tools to change worn cutting tools and maintained compliance with company standards in order to perform all maintenance activities.

  • Grounds Maintenance, 8%

    Job Summary: Coordinate and perform a variety of grounds maintenance duties in the beautification of assigned grounds and landscaped areas.

  • Blowers, 4%

    Operated powered equipment such as mowers, snow blowers, chainsaws, electric clippers and pruning saws Mowed and edged lawns.

  • Routine Maintenance, 4%

    Instructed and enforced daily routine maintenance tasks with crew members.

Most ground workers use their skills in "mowing," "grass," and "hand tools" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential ground worker responsibilities here:

Physical stamina. One of the key soft skills for a ground worker to have is physical stamina. You can see how this relates to what ground workers do because "grounds maintenance workers must be able to do strenuous labor for long periods of time, occasionally in extreme heat or cold." Additionally, a ground worker resume shows how ground workers use physical stamina: "maintained golf course landscaping, endured heavy physical labor, and learned important team building and cooperative skills. "

Self-motivated. Many ground worker duties rely on self-motivated. "because they often work with little supervision, grounds maintenance workers must be able to do their tasks independently.," so a ground worker will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways ground worker responsibilities rely on self-motivated: "be self-motivated to do a great job after mowing the lawn, the lawn was weed whipped. "

Dexterity. A big part of what ground workers do relies on "dexterity." You can see how essential it is to ground worker responsibilities because "grounds maintenance workers must have good eye, foot, and hand coordination when using dangerous or heavy equipment such as backhoes, mowers, and tractors." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical ground worker tasks: "completed 120 hours of hands-on training projects, including landscape maintenance, garden design, and ecological restoration. "

See the full list of ground worker skills

The three companies that hire the most ground workers are:

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Compare different ground workers

Ground worker vs. Lawn care technician

When it comes to landscape labor, one of the primary responsibilities is to perform landscape support tasks such as trimming the lawn, digging holes, planting flowers and trees, placing garden designs, and installing devices such as sprinkler systems. The majority of the tasks require physical work; there are instances where they must create structures such as ponds, fences, borders, patios, and other outdoor features. Furthermore, most of the tasks are in a group setting, which is why it is essential to coordinate with team members and adhere to the directives of supervisors or clients.

If we compare the average ground worker annual salary with that of a lawn care technician, we find that lawn care technicians typically earn a $2,564 higher salary than ground workers make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both ground worker and lawn care technician positions are skilled in mowing, grass, and blowers.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, ground worker responsibilities require skills like "hand tools," "grounds maintenance," "perform routine maintenance," and "minor maintenance." Meanwhile a typical lawn care technician has skills in areas such as "customer service," "basic math," "pest control," and "safety procedures." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Lawn care technicians really shine in the finance industry with an average salary of $34,566. Comparatively, ground workers tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $30,528.lawn care technicians tend to reach similar levels of education than ground workers. In fact, lawn care technicians are 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Ground worker vs. Lawn care specialist

A storekeeper is responsible for managing all a store's operations and overseeing the care and maintenance of stocks, including inventory management. Your duties will include receiving, unloading, and shelving supplies, inspecting deliveries for discrepancies and damage, and managing all documentation. In addition, you will be responsible for maintaining inventory control and coordinating freight handling. You are also responsible for planning campaigns to promote new products, mediating any conflicts between clients and staff, maintaining a sales record, and purchasing new products.

Lawn care specialist positions earn higher pay than ground worker roles. They earn a $1,810 higher salary than ground workers per year.A few skills overlap for ground workers and lawn care specialists. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "mowing," "grass," and "blowers. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, ground worker responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "hand tools," "grounds maintenance," "routine maintenance," and "perform routine maintenance." Meanwhile, a lawn care specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "customer locations," "safety procedures," and "pest control." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Lawn care specialists earn a higher average salary than ground workers. But lawn care specialists earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $34,722. Additionally, ground workers earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $30,528 annually.In general, lawn care specialists achieve similar levels of education than ground workers. They're 0.8% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Ground worker vs. Landscape labour

On average, landscape labours earn lower salaries than ground workers, with a $828 difference per year.ground workers and landscape labours both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "mowing," "grass," and "hand tools," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, ground workers are more likely to have skills like "routine maintenance," "minor maintenance," "athletic fields," and "grounds equipment." But a landscape labour is more likely to have skills like "mow lawns," "golf courses," "plant trees," and "clean flower beds."

Landscape labours make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $29,929. On the other hand, ground workers are paid the highest salary in the government industry, with average annual pay of $30,528.landscape labours typically earn similar educational levels compared to ground workers. Specifically, they're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Ground worker vs. Keeper

Keepers average a higher salary than the annual salary of ground workers. The difference is about $3,731 per year.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A ground worker uses "grass," "hand tools," "grounds maintenance," and "blowers." Keepers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "guest rooms," "dependability," "excellent guest," and "animal husbandry. "In general, keepers earn the most working in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $38,817. The highest-paying industry for a ground worker is the government industry.In general, keepers hold similar degree levels compared to ground workers. Keepers are 1.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of ground worker

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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