Every other year, GCSAA conducts a comprehensive study of the compensation, benefits and operations of its superintendent members. This helps fulfill a key expectation of an association, to maintain data about the profession being served. The report helps GCSAA learn demographic details about the profession. These can be shared with various constituencies, used to advocate on behalf of the profession and reveal trends in salaries across the country. They also identify the types of benefits superintendents are receiving or lacking.
A total of 4,554 superintendents participated in the 2011 Compensation and Benefits Survey, a response rate of 50.8%. The data presented in this report is based on trends observed through these surveys, which are conducted by third-party survey companies.
Facility types
Superintendents who completed the survey were employed in a wide variety of situations – from working at nine-hole municipal courses with annual maintenance budgets of $100,000, to managing 45-hole private resorts with annual budgets of more than $2 million. More than 72% of all superintendents responding to the 2011 survey worked at 18-hole facilities, with the following breakdown of facility types:
- Private facilities — 43.4%
- Daily-fee courses — 25%
- Semi-private facilities— 18.3%
- Municipal facilities — 13.3%
Superintendent salaries
In 2011, the average base salary for golf course superintendents rose to $81,044, a 2.7% increase over the base salary reported in 2009. This increase represents a 64.5% gain since 1995, or an increase of $31,775 in 16 years. In 2011, half of all superintendents earned $71,275 or more annually, 25% of all superintendents earned more than $95,000, and the top 10 percent earned $128,000 or more annually.
Certified golf course superintendent (CGCS) salaries
In 2011, the average base salary for certified golf course superintendents rose to $95,264, a 1.98% increase over the base salary reported in 2009. This increase represents a 23.5% gain since 2003, or an increase of $18,141 in eight years.
Fringe benefits
Employers offer a variety of fringe benefits to golf course superintendents:
| Benefits offered by employers |
| GCSAA membership |
96% |
| Chapter dues |
94% |
| Medical insurance |
86% |
| Travel to the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show |
62% |
| Registration to the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show |
68% |
| Seminar/tuition reimbursement |
82% |
More from the report
The 2011 GCSAA Compensation and Benefits Report also contains base salary data searchable by:
- GCSAA class (A, SM, CGCS)
- State
- Metro area
- Chapter
- Facility demographics
- Facility type
- Annual maintenance budget
Additional data in the report includes:
- Additional fringe benefit information
- Assistant superintendent and equipment manager average base salaries
- Fringe benefits for assistant superintendents
- Maintenance crew position average wages
GCSAA members who did not participate in the survey may purchase online access to the results for $125, or online access and a printed version for $150. Non-members may purchase a printed copy for $525. To order, contact GCSAA at 800-472-7878.
