Mower operator vs grounds person

The differences between mower operators and grounds people can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a mower operator and a grounds person. Additionally, a grounds person has an average salary of $33,955, which is higher than the $31,027 average annual salary of a mower operator.

The top three skills for a mower operator include GRASS, mowing and rakes. The most important skills for a grounds person are ladders, PPE, and CDL.

Mower operator vs grounds person overview

	Mower Operator	Grounds Person
Yearly salary	$31,027	$33,955
Hourly rate	$14.92	$16.32
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	27,318	37,122
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 55%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	2	2

Mower operator vs grounds person salary

Mower operators and grounds people have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mower Operator	Grounds Person
Average salary	$31,027	$33,955
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Waltham, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Schnitzer Steel
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between mower operator and grounds person education

There are a few differences between a mower operator and a grounds person in terms of educational background:

	Mower Operator	Grounds Person
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 55%
Most common major	General Studies	General Studies
Most common college	-	-

Mower operator vs grounds person demographics

Here are the differences between mower operators' and grounds people' demographics:

	Mower Operator	Grounds Person
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 93.9% Female, 6.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.8% Asian, 1.6% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%	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%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between mower operator and grounds person duties and responsibilities

Mower operator example responsibilities.

Maintain, operate, and manage a riding lawn-mower to ensure that it run to the best of itscapabilities.
Operate different power mowers, blowers, weed whackers, trimmers etc.
Mow grass, weed whacking, and blowing off remains.
Trim grass using the lawn mower, operate the weed eater, and leaf blower.
Drive mowing route, repairing mowers on the spot when they break, mowing yards to look neat and professional
Operate specialty mowers for fairways and greens along with rough and sand trap maintenance.

Grounds person example responsibilities.

Used hand saws and hand pruners as well as motorized saws to manage tree cuttings on the ground.
Operate and maintain non CDL truck, bobcat, wood chipper, and grind saw.
Perform maintenance and preventative maintenance including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, flooring, painting and suspend ceilings.
Operate power equipment such as mowers, snow blowers, chain-saws, electric clippers, sod cutters, and pruning saws.
Certify forklift for NC and SC, CPR and first aid
Mow lawn, plant flowers and remove litter and snow.

Mower operator vs grounds person skills

Common mower operator skills

GRASS, 40%
Mowing, 32%
Rakes, 18%
Mowers, 4%
Blowers, 2%
Snow Removal, 1%

Common grounds person skills

Ladders, 30%
PPE, 17%
CDL, 9%
GRASS, 5%
Work Ethic, 5%
CPR, 4%

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Building and Grounds Maintenance Industry
Mower Operator
Mower Operator vs Grounds Person

Updated January 8, 2025

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