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Grounds keeper vs ground crew

The differences between grounds keepers and ground crews can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a grounds keeper and a ground crew. Additionally, a ground crew has an average salary of $33,390, which is higher than the $30,535 average annual salary of a grounds keeper.

The top three skills for a grounds keeper include GRASS, PET and lawn care. The most important skills for a ground crew are mowing, GRASS, and snow removal.

Grounds keeper vs ground crew overview

Grounds KeeperGround Crew
Yearly salary$30,535$33,390
Hourly rate$14.68$16.05
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs11,53464,779
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

What does a grounds keeper do?

A groundskeeper's job responsibility is to maintain and modify outdoor areas such as college campuses, parks, gardens, etc. Your major duty is to carry out routine maintenance, planting, and gardening of a business or park's landscape. You may have to perform duties like mowing and maintaining lawns, planting new greenery, and trimming shrubs. Other duties you may likely carry out are watering, fertilizing, mulching, and applying pesticides. In all, the goal is to maintain the grounds of the place where you work.

What does a ground crew do?

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.

Grounds keeper vs ground crew salary

Grounds keepers and ground crews have different pay scales, as shown below.

Grounds KeeperGround Crew
Average salary$30,535$33,390
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $37,000Between $26,000 And $41,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WAJuneau, AK
Highest paying stateWashingtonMassachusetts
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New YorkElcona Pro Shop
Best paying industryHealth CareManufacturing

Differences between grounds keeper and ground crew education

There are a few differences between a grounds keeper and a ground crew in terms of educational background:

Grounds KeeperGround Crew
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Grounds keeper vs ground crew demographics

Here are the differences between grounds keepers' and ground crews' demographics:

Grounds KeeperGround Crew
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 89.1% Female, 10.9%Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 2.2% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%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%
LGBT Percentage3%3%

Differences between grounds keeper and ground crew duties and responsibilities

Grounds keeper example responsibilities.

  • Manage hardscape installation team and project
  • Remove debris from stairs and walks, rakes leaves, and mows lawns.
  • Remove leaves and other debris from graves, using leaf blowers, rakes, and weed eaters.
  • Perform flower and foliage care and planting, raking or blowing leaves, mowing grass, mulching and removing weeds.
  • Assist with general building maintenance including plumbing and electrical repairs.
  • Used spray guns, brushes, brooms, cleaning solutions, ladders.
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Ground crew example responsibilities.

  • Manage the maintenance for all generators: small Honda 4000 and Onan 6500K's.
  • Used hand saws and hand pruners as well as motorized saws to manage tree cuttings on the ground.
  • Used rakes, shovels, pruning saws, brush trimmers, axes, and other equipment.
  • Collect debris and refuge from tree trimming and removal operations into piles using shovels, rakes, and other tools.
  • Use landscape tools-rakes, shovels, and shrub pruners.
  • Synchronize missile defense operations within NATO's southern region.
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Grounds keeper vs ground crew skills

Common grounds keeper skills
  • GRASS, 30%
  • PET, 19%
  • Lawn Care, 7%
  • Snow Blowers, 5%
  • Mowing, 5%
  • Weed Control, 4%
Common ground crew skills
  • Mowing, 22%
  • GRASS, 14%
  • Snow Removal, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • General Upkeep, 5%
  • Fairways, 4%

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