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The differences between grounds people and grounds maintenance workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a grounds person, becoming a grounds maintenance worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a grounds person has an average salary of $33,955, which is higher than the $28,562 average annual salary of a grounds maintenance worker.
The top three skills for a grounds person include ladders, PPE and CDL. The most important skills for a grounds maintenance worker are GRASS, grounds maintenance, and mowing.
| Grounds Person | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $33,955 | $28,562 |
| Hourly rate | $16.32 | $13.73 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 37,122 | 115,674 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A grounds person is responsible for the overall upkeep of an institution's grounds, public parks, and other similar areas. They are usually employed in schools, especially in schools with provisions for outdoor sports or lawn sports such as soccer, golf, tennis, and football, among others. A grounds person is in charge of the maintenance of the grass on the lawn, of the repairs and maintenance of fixtures such as lights, benches, and fountains, and even of the cleanliness of the area. As such, it is expected that a grounds person is familiar with taking care of plants, conducting routine maintenance work, and repairing fixtures.
A grounds maintenance worker makes sure that the grounds of businesses, urban infrastructure, parks, and houses are in order and attractive. These workers provide a functional and pleasant outdoor environment to spaces. They mow, fertilize, and edge lawns. Their tasks may include removing damaged, unwanted, or dead trees in these areas. They also maintain the indoor plantings and gardens in public and commercial facilities like hotels, botanical gardens, and malls.
Grounds people and grounds maintenance workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Grounds Person | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Average salary | $33,955 | $28,562 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $42,000 | Between $23,000 And $35,000 |
| Highest paying City | Waltham, MA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Schnitzer Steel | Lakeland Electric |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a grounds person and a grounds maintenance worker in terms of educational background:
| Grounds Person | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 46% |
| Most common major | General Studies | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between grounds people' and grounds maintenance workers' demographics:
| Grounds Person | Grounds Maintenance Worker | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 2.2% White, 58.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 4.7% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 2% |