Mower operator vs groundsman

The differences between mower operators and groundsmen 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 groundsman. Additionally, a groundsman has an average salary of $33,013, 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 groundsman are CDL, hand tools, and lawn care.

Mower operator vs groundsman overview

	Mower Operator	Groundsman
Yearly salary	$31,027	$33,013
Hourly rate	$14.92	$15.87
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	27,318	3,486
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 59%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	2	2

Mower operator vs groundsman salary

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

	Mower Operator	Groundsman
Average salary	$31,027	$33,013
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $40,000	Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Billerica, MA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Nashua Country Club
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between mower operator and groundsman education

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

	Mower Operator	Groundsman
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 58%	High School Diploma, 59%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Mower operator vs groundsman demographics

Here are the differences between mower operators' and groundsmen' demographics:

	Mower Operator	Groundsman
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 95.3% Female, 4.7%
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, 11.1% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.4% Asian, 2.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between mower operator and groundsman 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.

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.

Mower operator vs groundsman skills

Common mower operator skills

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

Common groundsman skills

CDL, 16%
Hand Tools, 15%
Lawn Care, 9%
Blowers, 6%
Snow Removal, 5%
Mowing, 5%

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Building and Grounds Maintenance Industry
Mower Operator
Mower Operator vs Groundsman

Updated January 8, 2025

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