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Landscaper vs groundskeeping maintenance

The differences between landscapers and groundskeeping maintenances can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a landscaper, becoming a groundskeeping maintenance takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a groundskeeping maintenance has an average salary of $30,512, which is higher than the $28,952 average annual salary of a landscaper.

The top three skills for a landscaper include mowing, taking care and GRASS. The most important skills for a groundskeeping maintenance are customer service, cleanliness, and HVAC.

Landscaper vs groundskeeping maintenance overview

LandscaperGroundskeeping Maintenance
Yearly salary$28,952$30,512
Hourly rate$13.92$14.67
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs11,14794,448
Job satisfaction4-
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 49%High School Diploma, 46%
Average age4147
Years of experience24

What does a landscaper do?

A landscaper is responsible for maintaining gardens, plant areas, and other outdoor facilities. Landscapers' duties include reviewing and adjusting landscape design based on the clients' specifications, analyzing garden layouts, measuring land areas and surfaces for the design outlines, installing irrigation systems, maintaining plant growth, and applying fertilizers regularly. Landscapers will also work on removing weeds, trimming overgrown plants, checking defects on landscape equipment, and coordinating with other outdoor design professionals. A landscaper should be knowledgeable about the recent landscaping trends to suggest designs and improve the landscape presentation.

What does a groundskeeping maintenance do?

A Groundskeeping Maintenance Worker performs several skilled and semi-skilled tasks in grounds keeping and building trade areas. They maintain turf places, including weed control and Integrated Pest Management. They also cut and install window glass. These professionals replace broken pipes, replace gaskets, replace washers, replace faucets, flush sewer lines, and clean clogged drains. A Groundskeepipng Maintenance Worker must know how to operate hand equipment and power tools and identify and repair minor roof leaks.

Landscaper vs groundskeeping maintenance salary

Landscapers and groundskeeping maintenances have different pay scales, as shown below.

LandscaperGroundskeeping Maintenance
Average salary$28,952$30,512
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $36,000Between $24,000 And $38,000
Highest paying CitySanta Clara, CAAuburn, WA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsAlaska
Best paying companyPrinceton UniversityMack-Cali Realty
Best paying industryHealth CareReal Estate

Differences between landscaper and groundskeeping maintenance education

There are a few differences between a landscaper and a groundskeeping maintenance in terms of educational background:

LandscaperGroundskeeping Maintenance
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 49%High School Diploma, 46%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Landscaper vs groundskeeping maintenance demographics

Here are the differences between landscapers' and groundskeeping maintenances' demographics:

LandscaperGroundskeeping Maintenance
Average age4147
Gender ratioMale, 91.0% Female, 9.0%Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.4% Asian, 1.5% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage3%2%

Differences between landscaper and groundskeeping maintenance duties and responsibilities

Landscaper example responsibilities.

  • Manage clients and run all landscape operations including groundskeeping, seasonal cleaning, and pressure washing
  • Manage hardscape installation team and project
  • Operate powered equipment such as mowers, tractors, snow blowers, chainsaws, sod cutters, pruning saws and edgers.
  • Install plants, landscape lighting, and hardscape features (including retaining walls, paving stones and ponds).
  • Used various tools to cut grass, prune small trees and shrubbery, paint, and perform other landscaping duties.
  • Operate weed-whacker, leaf blower, lawn mower, and use of handsaw, shovels, and clippers as needed.
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Groundskeeping maintenance example responsibilities.

  • Clean grounds use leaf blowers and rakes when need pick up trash all around the property.
  • Remove snow from sidewalks, driveways, and parking areas using snow plows, blowers, and shovels.
  • Maintain the cleanliness of the property and perform maintenance duties in apartments as needed.
  • Maintain the cleanliness of the park at all times for guests along with various housekeeping duties.
  • Perform grounds keeping duties such as: cut and trim grass, dig holes and pick up loitering.
  • Landscape and maintain grounds of the public schools to include mowing, trimming, planting, and weeding utilizing appropriate equipment.
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Landscaper vs groundskeeping maintenance skills

Common landscaper skills
  • Mowing, 19%
  • Taking Care, 14%
  • GRASS, 12%
  • Power Saws, 11%
  • Prune, 7%
  • Golf Courses, 6%
Common groundskeeping maintenance skills
  • Customer Service, 18%
  • Cleanliness, 11%
  • HVAC, 10%
  • GRASS, 9%
  • Mowing, 8%
  • Plumbing, 4%

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