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Grounds keeper vs groundsman

The differences between grounds keepers and groundsmen 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 groundsman. Additionally, a groundsman has an average salary of $33,013, 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 groundsman are CDL, hand tools, and lawn care.

Grounds keeper vs groundsman overview

Grounds KeeperGroundsman
Yearly salary$30,535$33,013
Hourly rate$14.68$15.87
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs11,5343,486
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 48%High School Diploma, 59%
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 groundsman do?

Groundsmen or greenkeepers are professionals who take responsibility for the maintenance of materials and equipment. They make certain to provide enough stock of consumables. Part of their responsibilities is to make sure that the grounds, flowers, lawns, and shrubs are kept from plant diseases and harmful insects. They are also responsible for looking after the sports grounds, including bowling greens, racecourses, tennis courts, rugby pitches, and football fields.

Grounds keeper vs groundsman salary

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

Grounds KeeperGroundsman
Average salary$30,535$33,013
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $37,000Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CitySeattle, WABillerica, MA
Highest paying stateWashingtonNorth Dakota
Best paying companyColumbia University in the City of New YorkNashua Country Club
Best paying industryHealth CareManufacturing

Differences between grounds keeper and groundsman education

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

Grounds KeeperGroundsman
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 48%High School Diploma, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Grounds keeper vs groundsman demographics

Here are the differences between grounds keepers' and groundsmen' demographics:

Grounds KeeperGroundsman
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 89.1% Female, 10.9%Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7%
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, 11.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage3%3%

Differences between grounds keeper and groundsman 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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Groundsman example responsibilities.

  • Used hand saws and hand pruners as well as motorized saws to manage tree cuttings on the ground.
  • Use of gas and electric equipment to include mowers, edger's, weed eaters, blowers, hedgers, and saws
  • Certify adult cpr and first aid.
  • Locate underground utility lines with the use of electronic locators and shovels.
  • Use chipper to dispose of brush, use bobcat to load wood into trailer.
  • Range from running a chainsaw to roping a limb, to running the bobcat machine.
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Grounds keeper vs groundsman skills

Common grounds keeper skills
  • GRASS, 30%
  • PET, 19%
  • Lawn Care, 7%
  • Snow Blowers, 5%
  • Mowing, 5%
  • Weed Control, 4%
Common groundsman skills
  • CDL, 16%
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • Lawn Care, 9%
  • Blowers, 6%
  • Snow Removal, 5%
  • Mowing, 5%

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