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Turf Management

Types of Degrees Turf Management Majors Are Earning

Those studying Turf Management can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	73
Associate’s Degree	177
Bachelor’s Degree	68
Master’s Degree	78

What Turf Management Majors Need to Know

Programs in Turf Management develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Turf Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Turf Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Turf Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Turf Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Turf Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.9 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	3.9 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Turf Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Turf Management graduates include:

• Junior Landscape Crew Leader
• Agriculture Instructor
• Plant Science Professor
• Soil Science Professor
• Animal Husbandry Teacher
• Associate Professor
• Plant Pathology Teacher
• Olericulture Teacher
• Professor
• Aquaculture Professor
• Soil Biology Teacher
• Horticulture Instructor
• Farm Crops Teacher
• Agricultural Education Professor
• Assistant Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Turf Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	21.0%
Bachelor’s degree	16.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	13.0%
Postsecondary certificate	11.8%
Post-doctoral training	10.2%
Less than a high school diploma	10.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.9%
Master’s degree	5.3%
Some college courses	3.7%
Post-master’s certificate	2.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Turf Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 89.4% of Turf Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	42	10.6%
Men	354	89.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Turf Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	331	83.6%
Hispanic or Latino	36	9.1%
Black or African American	20	5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.5%
Two or More Races	3	0.8%
Race Unknown	2	0.5%
International Students	2	0.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Turf Management Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Turf Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,555
4 years	$43,505
5 years	$48,599

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,599 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Turf Management Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Turf Management. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	2
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Turf Management Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Turf Management graduates earn a median of $43,505 four years after completion — roughly 14% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	01.06
Applied Horticulture/Horticultural Business Services, Other	01.0699
Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General	01.0601
Floriculture/Floristry Operations and Management	01.0608
Greenhouse Operations and Management	01.0604
Landscaping and Groundskeeping	01.0605
Ornamental Horticulture	01.0603
Plant Nursery Operations and Management	01.0606
Public Horticulture	01.0609
Reserved	01.0680
Urban and Community Horticulture	01.0610
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations	01.0102

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.