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Groundsman vs gardener

The differences between groundsmen and gardeners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a groundsman and a gardener. Additionally, a groundsman has an average salary of $33,013, which is higher than the $32,912 average annual salary of a gardener.

The top three skills for a groundsman include CDL, hand tools and lawn care. The most important skills for a gardener are GRASS, mowing, and hand tools.

Groundsman vs gardener overview

GroundsmanGardener
Yearly salary$33,013$32,912
Hourly rate$15.87$15.82
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs3,4865,411
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age4141
Years of experience22

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.

What does a gardener do?

Gardeners are skilled employees who are responsible for monitoring the health of all plants and trees while maintaining the landscape of a garden. These gardeners are required to trim lawns edges while using rakes and brooms to remove lawn clippings and clear other debris from the ground. They need to use various gardening tools to perform basic pruning while neatly shaping bushes and trees to the desired design. Gardeners must also apply liquid fertilizers and chemical control agents to remove weeds and protect the attractiveness of the landscapes.

Groundsman vs gardener salary

Groundsmen and gardeners have different pay scales, as shown below.

GroundsmanGardener
Average salary$33,013$32,912
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $42,000Between $22,000 And $47,000
Highest paying CityBillerica, MAUnion City, CA
Highest paying stateNorth DakotaHawaii
Best paying companyNashua Country ClubUC Santa Barbara
Best paying industryManufacturingMedia

Differences between groundsman and gardener education

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

GroundsmanGardener
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common majorBusinessPlant Sciences
Most common college--

Groundsman vs gardener demographics

Here are the differences between groundsmen' and gardeners' demographics:

GroundsmanGardener
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 95.3% Female, 4.7%Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 28.0% Asian, 1.8% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage3%3%

Differences between groundsman and gardener duties and responsibilities

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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Gardener example responsibilities.

  • Manage hardscape installation team and project
  • General grounds maintenance of exterior landscaping, including trimming, weed control, lawn mowing, and applying fertilizer.
  • Operate and maintain lawn mowers and tractors for seeding, aeration, snow removal and fertilizing of grounds.
  • Operate vehicles or power equipment, such as mowers, snow blowers, chain-saws, electric clippers and pruning saws.
  • Operate a variety of equipment including hand and power tools, blowers, mowers, and drive a vehicle around campus.
  • Clean grounds using rakes, brooms, trash can, and hand blower.
  • Show more

Groundsman vs gardener skills

Common groundsman skills
  • CDL, 16%
  • Hand Tools, 15%
  • Lawn Care, 9%
  • Blowers, 6%
  • Snow Removal, 5%
  • Mowing, 5%
Common gardener skills
  • GRASS, 20%
  • Mowing, 10%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Blowers, 7%
  • Rakes, 5%
  • Grounds Maintenance, 5%

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