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What is a grounds maintenance supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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Grounds maintenance supervisors are responsible for overseeing the activities of landscaping and groundskeeping crews. They ensure that lawns, gardens, parks, and plant displays are attractive and healthy. They also lead and supervise maintenance and landscape crews who mow lawns, irrigate planting beds, trim shrubs, and perform other outdoor maintenance tasks. These maintenance supervisors operate equipment, such as lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, snowblowers, tractors, hoses, and spray applicators.

Grounds maintenance supervisors earn an average salary of $29,000 annually or $14 per hour. Their duties include planning and coordinating the grounds maintenance/construction operation, developing long-term plans, planning work schedules, making work assignments, and inspecting finished and work in progress. They also recommend and implement methods and procedures designed to increase the overall effectiveness of the grounds operation.

Grounds maintenance supervisors typically hold an associate's degree in horticulture or a related field. They are expected to have some years of grounds maintenance experience. Some employers prefer candidates with in-depth knowledge of supervisory principles, practices, and techniques.

ScoreGrounds Maintenance SupervisorUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $31,800

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.9

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.85%

Asian 1.27%

Black or African American 7.70%

Hispanic or Latino 16.86%

Unknown 4.64%

White 68.67%

Gender

female 9.51%

male 90.49%

Age - 45.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45.5
Stress level
8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Grounds maintenance supervisor career paths

Key steps to become a grounds maintenance supervisor

  1. Explore grounds maintenance supervisor education requirements

    Most common grounds maintenance supervisor degrees

    High School Diploma

    40.6 %

    Bachelor's

    23.6 %

    Associate

    19.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific grounds maintenance supervisor skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Mowing12.32%
    GRASS10.30%
    Hand Tools5.95%
    Cleanliness5.46%
    Grounds Maintenance4.27%
  3. Complete relevant grounds maintenance supervisor training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New grounds maintenance supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a grounds maintenance supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real grounds maintenance supervisor resumes.
  4. Research grounds maintenance supervisor duties and responsibilities

    • Manage sales, run machinary, complete wekly inventory, run forklift, deliver orders, and keep financial records
    • Mow lawn using manual or riding mower, trim and edge around sidewalks, flower beds, and walls.
    • Operate small power equipment, mowers, edger's, hedge clippers, weed whackers, back pack leaf blowers.
    • General responsibilities include mowing and general upkeep of property, pipe repair, machinery operation and upkeep.
  5. Prepare your grounds maintenance supervisor resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your grounds maintenance supervisor resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a grounds maintenance supervisor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable grounds maintenance supervisor resume templates

    Build a professional grounds maintenance supervisor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your grounds maintenance supervisor resume.
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
    Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Resume
  6. Apply for grounds maintenance supervisor jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a grounds maintenance supervisor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first grounds maintenance supervisor job

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Average grounds maintenance supervisor salary

The average grounds maintenance supervisor salary in the United States is $31,800 per year or $15 per hour. Grounds maintenance supervisor salaries range between $24,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average grounds maintenance supervisor salary
$31,800 Yearly
$15.29 hourly

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Grounds maintenance supervisor reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

Fast Pace, solving problems working with outside groups.

Cons

Engineering not understanding processes


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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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