Golf course superintendents are, on average, earning more in salary than ever before. According to the GCSAA's biennial compensation survey, the average superintendent's salary rose 12.6 percent to $109,621 in 2023, up from $97,354 two years ago.
The survey included responses from more than 3,200 GCSAA member superintendents, and the results compare favorably to other fields. From 2020 to 2022, the average U.S. salary rose by 10 percent from $55,000 to $60,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The news was even better for certified superintendents, who saw their salaries rise from $119,558 to an average of $128,731, according to the survey. That is 16 percent higher than the survey's average for a superintendent.
According to the survey, the average age of a superintendent is 47.1 years, with 16.6 years in the turf industry, including 10.3 years with their current employer.
Since the first compensation survey 30 years ago, superintendent salaries have risen 146.3 percent from an average of $44,500 in 1993.
The average salary for equipment managers climbed 14.2 percent to $60,584, and assistant wages rose 15.3 percent during the past two years to an average of $56,299, according to the survey.