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Jobs

In a 2007 Florida survey (Hodges and Stevens, 2010), turfgrass-related direct employment was 157,240 jobs, with a total employment impact (including part-time) of 173,166, or 1.64% of all jobs in Florida. Land management in turfgrass was 3.9 million acres. Both employment and economic flows were concentrated in golf courses and landscape service vendors, with employment of 50,185 and 61,999 jobs, respectively.

Institutional properties, such as municipal public parks, employ personnel to mow, control weeds, apply fertilizer, manage irrigation, and other duties that are done “in-house,” while some tasks are contracted out to companies.

Increasingly workers in the turfgrass industry are expected to have training and certification. Pesticide applicators have long been required to be licensed depending on the kind of product applied, and a certificate is now required in some jurisdictions for fertilizer applicators. Special certifications exist such as the Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS), the Certified Sports Field Manager (CSFM), and other specialties. Local, state, and national organizations provide turfgrass managers an opportunity to network, share experiences, and earn continuing education units (CEUs) for renewal of certification.

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