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Landscape contractor vs grounds maintenance worker

The differences between landscape contractors 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 landscape contractor, becoming a grounds maintenance worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a landscape contractor has an average salary of $30,650, which is higher than the $28,562 average annual salary of a grounds maintenance worker.

The top three skills for a landscape contractor include mowing, general maintenance and retaining walls. The most important skills for a grounds maintenance worker are GRASS, grounds maintenance, and mowing.

Landscape contractor vs grounds maintenance worker overview

Landscape ContractorGrounds Maintenance Worker
Yearly salary$30,650$28,562
Hourly rate$14.74$13.73
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs19,038115,674
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%High School Diploma, 46%
Average age4147
Years of experience24

Landscape contractor vs grounds maintenance worker salary

Landscape contractors and grounds maintenance workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Landscape ContractorGrounds Maintenance Worker
Average salary$30,650$28,562
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $43,000Between $23,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City-Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Lakeland Electric
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between landscape contractor and grounds maintenance worker education

There are a few differences between a landscape contractor and a grounds maintenance worker in terms of educational background:

Landscape ContractorGrounds Maintenance Worker
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%High School Diploma, 46%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Landscape contractor vs grounds maintenance worker demographics

Here are the differences between landscape contractors' and grounds maintenance workers' demographics:

Landscape ContractorGrounds Maintenance Worker
Average age4147
Gender ratioMale, 89.5% Female, 10.5%Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 25.9% Asian, 2.3% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%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 Percentage3%2%

Differences between landscape contractor and grounds maintenance worker duties and responsibilities

Landscape contractor example responsibilities.

  • Manage clients and run all landscape operations including groundskeeping, seasonal cleaning, and pressure washing
  • Used hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, punishing tools etc.
  • Used hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, saws, hedge, brush trimmers, and axes
  • Used hand or power tools such as fertilizer spreaders, mowers, blowers, edgers and weedwhackers.
  • Take, mulch, and prune grounds as needed.
  • Install sprinklers or lighting systems.
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Grounds maintenance worker example responsibilities.

  • Manage hardscape installation team and project
  • Operate hand or power tools and equipment such as: lawn mowers, shovels, snow blowers, rakes and trimmers.
  • Used lawn equipment to maintain grass, trees, flower beds, and paper pickup around the outside of where house.
  • Clean grounds using rakes, brooms, and hoses.
  • Mow, weed whack, rake, mulch, and prune the grounds as needed.
  • Remove weeds, debris and trash, edge, water, mow, prune and trim park landscapes.
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Landscape contractor vs grounds maintenance worker skills

Common landscape contractor skills
  • Mowing, 16%
  • General Maintenance, 8%
  • Retaining Walls, 8%
  • Lawn Care, 7%
  • Landscape Design, 6%
  • MOW, 5%
Common grounds maintenance worker skills
  • GRASS, 16%
  • Grounds Maintenance, 11%
  • Mowing, 9%
  • Hand Tools, 7%
  • Mowers, 4%
  • Blowers, 4%

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