Tree and shrub technician vs ground worker

The differences between tree and shrub technicians and ground workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a tree and shrub technician and a ground worker. Additionally, a tree and shrub technician has an average salary of $32,076, which is higher than the $29,875 average annual salary of a ground worker.

The top three skills for a tree and shrub technician include lawn care, tree removal and DOT. The most important skills for a ground worker are mowing, GRASS, and hand tools.

Tree and shrub technician vs ground worker overview

	Tree And Shrub Technician	Ground Worker
Yearly salary	$32,076	$29,875
Hourly rate	$15.42	$14.36
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	9,655	33,720
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	High School Diploma, 38%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	2	2

Tree and shrub technician vs ground worker salary

Tree and shrub technicians and ground workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tree And Shrub Technician	Ground Worker
Average salary	$32,076	$29,875
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $24,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City	-	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Mount St. Mary's University
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between tree and shrub technician and ground worker education

There are a few differences between a tree and shrub technician and a ground worker in terms of educational background:

	Tree And Shrub Technician	Ground Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 29%	High School Diploma, 38%
Most common major	General Studies	Business
Most common college	-	-

Tree and shrub technician vs ground worker demographics

Here are the differences between tree and shrub technicians' and ground workers' demographics:

	Tree And Shrub Technician	Ground Worker
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3%	Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 1.7% White, 62.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 2.1% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between tree and shrub technician and ground worker duties and responsibilities

Tree and shrub technician example responsibilities.

Manage hardscape installation team and project
Light truck maintenance, fork lift operating, chemical logs, and PPE.
Used leaf blowers and chippers to clean leaves out of lawns and beds at various homes and businesses.
Maintain existing landscaping by pruning edging trimming fertilizing and mowing.
Administer appropriate tree and shrub fungicide and insecticide controls, discuss site plans for tree and shrub customers.

Ground worker example responsibilities.

Manage hardscape installation team and project
Operate vehicles and power equipment such as mowers, snow blowers, electric clippers, sod cutters, or pruning saws.
Aid in the maintenance of equipment as needed (lawn mowers, tractors, weed-eaters, leaf blowers, etc . )
Mow rough, greens, fairways, hand water greens, spread seed on greens and fairways, rake sand traps.
Used both hand shovels and plow trucks to remove snow.
Operate backhoe and bobcat to assist plumbing and irrigation dept.

Tree and shrub technician vs ground worker skills

Common tree and shrub technician skills

Lawn Care, 49%
Tree Removal, 23%
DOT, 14%
Weed Control, 14%

Common ground worker skills

Mowing, 12%
GRASS, 10%
Hand Tools, 9%
Grounds Maintenance, 8%
Blowers, 4%
Routine Maintenance, 4%

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Building and Grounds Maintenance Industry
Tree And Shrub Technician
Tree And Shrub Technician vs Ground Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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