According to the 2017 Compensation and Benefits Report from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the average salary saw an increase of 4.7% over the 2015 report. Certified golf course superintendents saw an increase of more than 5%, averaging $109,620.
The 2017 biennial Compensation and Benefits Report from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) found that the average annual salary for superintendents has climbed to $89,189 in 2017.
The report showed that the average salary was an increase of 4.7% over the 2015 report, continuing the trend of increases in every two-year period since GCSAA began tracking the data in 1993. Superintendents’ salaries have more than doubled in the last quarter century since that first report, when the average salary was $44,500.
Certified golf course superintendents, those who have achieved the highest level of recognition through education, experience and service, saw an increase of more than 5% for the second consecutive survey. Their average salary rose to $109,620, an increase of $5,627 over 2015.
Assistant superintendents and golf course equipment managers also saw increases in their incomes. Assistant salaries rose 4.2%, and equipment managers saw a 5.1% increase from the average salary two years ago.
“Golf course owners realize that the No. 1 asset of the golf facility is the course, so they have continued to invest in golf course superintendents and their staffs,” said Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO. “The continued rise in compensation recognizes superintendents for the highly educated professionals they are.”
The report also gives a good picture of the profile of GCSAA superintendents and their operations. The average age of a superintendent is 46 years, and they have spent 16.2 years in the profession. The average number of years superintendents have spent in their current position stayed steady at 10.4 years.
Between December 2016 and January 2017, the association research firm Industry Insights sent the survey to all GCSAA Class A and Class B members and the response rate was 39.3%, with a margin of error of +/-1.4% and a 95% level of confidence.
More information about the 2017 Compensation and Benefits Report is available at gcsaa.org.
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