A groundskeeper is in charge of performing specialized and semi-skilled tasks to maintain various types of landscaping and grounds.
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Duties of a Groundskeeper
A groundskeeper has a wide range of responsibilities, some of which include the following:
- Establishing paths, preparing decorative plant beds, plucking or spraying weeds, watering and pruning plants, etc. are all part of maintaining the health and quality of the trees, hedges, flowers, shrubs, and other vegetation on the property.
- Evaluating and deciding on the most effective pest control methods, fertilizer application rates, and other chemical treatments for landscaping or school grounds.
- Operate and maintain a variety of groundskeeping equipment, such as chainsaws, lawnmowers, power washers, and lifts, on a regular basis to maintain the given property’s upkeep.
- Offer insightful suggestions for the creation or design of a landscape plan, such as what kind of vegetation is appropriate or which plants need to be replaced.
- To encourage water conservation, monitor the functioning of current irrigation systems’ controllers, sprinklers, valves, and laterals and replace defective parts as needed.
Importance of a Groundskeeper
While maintaining a continuously clean and appealing appearance is crucial for any landscape area, groundskeeping is not a particularly glamorous profession. You must be physically fit to execute this job, which includes raking leaves, laying sod, watering plants, fertilizing the soil, digging ditches, and operating sprinklers.
You can be required to keep up the appearance of a certain location, such as cleaning the fountains or pool, removing rubbish, or fixing the sidewalks. Because there is always work to be done, during the winter months you can also find yourself shoveling snow or sprinkling salt on bike lanes or parking lots in addition to your regular workload. It’s crucial to have no trouble handling a variety of tools on the job, including shears, saws, snow blowers, weed eaters, and hedge clippers.
Job Scheduling
Since there are no set working hours in this kind of profession, you must maintain a flexible schedule. Depending on the business, you can be required to work on holidays, weekends, late nights, and other extra hours. Working in unsanitary conditions and high heat is not unusual. A driver’s license is needed if your job entails regularly traveling between several sites to manage multiple grounds.
The Job’s Growth
Between 2014 and 2024, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 6% growth for groundskeepers, which is comparable to the national average for other professions. Due to increased vacant spaces on corporate and academic campuses, the demand for grounds and lawn management will rise in the coming years. Additionally, when the baby boomer generation ages, they will need specialized assistance with tending to and maintaining their own lawns and gardens, which will create good career opportunities for skilled groundskeepers.
A lot of groundskeepers also look for jobs in conservation, forestry, or as ranch hands. High school graduation is required for both professions, and bachelor’s degrees will soon be required for higher-level positions.
Common Employers
A wide variety of rural, urban, or suburban openings in commercial and residential properties are available to groundskeepers. A groundskeeper is required whenever there is a yard or extensive grounds with trees, gardens, and lawns. This also covers the grounds of athletic campuses, conservatories, golf courses, parks, and gardens.
How to Get Started as a Groundkeeper
A profession in groundskeeping does not require any additional schooling beyond a high school diploma. The majority of jobs offer you on-the-job training to develop fundamental abilities in using gardening tools, planting, and caring for trees, flowers, and other plants. Being knowledgeable about horticulture and landscaping will help you in your day-to-day employment. By completing an associate’s degree or certificate program that covers topics including lawn care, landscape management, field maintenance, sales, and sod production, many professionals deepen their grasp of the industry.
It is advised that you obtain a certification in the safe use and disposal of chemical solutions, fungicides, and pesticides if your job needs you to handle them frequently. You can also be expected to transport supplies to and from job sites and operate various pieces of equipment for grounds upkeep as a groundskeeper. Because of this, potential employers will give more consideration to applicants who have expertise operating heavy machineries like tractors or trucks and have a clean driving record.
Data on Groundskeeper Salaries
To help you understand more about this career, we’ve given the information below. While the editorial content and advice are based on our research, the wage and growth information on this page is taken from recently released Bureau of Labor Statistics statistics. The average national salary is $27,460 while the average hourly wage is $13.
How much money does a Groundskeeper make compared to other jobs?
According to the most recent data on employment across the country, groundskeepers can earn an average yearly pay of $27,460, or $13 per hour. It is therefore a salary above average. When just starting out or depending on the state you live in, they may make $20,820 or $10 per hour on the low end.
How has the increase of jobs for Groundskeepers compared to other jobs?
For a total of 1,239,600 persons employed in the career nationwide by 2024, 71,800 jobs will change. The career’s national growth rate for the next 10 years will change by 6.1%, which is below average.
