Turfgrass management gives students training leading to jobs and careers in any area dealing with turf or urban areas. Examples of jobs available to students with a BS degree in ornamental horticulture with specialization in turfgrass management include golf course turf management, lawn and landscape maintenance, athletic field managers, parks and grounds managers, technical sales to the turf industry, and others. Students who choose to earn an MS degree in turfgrass management can find technical sales positions, research associate positions, extension specialists for state universities, or work as consultants. Students who earn a Ph.D. in turf usually look to obtain faculty positions at universities.

Golf course management is the largest source of employment for graduates at the BS degree level. Currently, 90-95% of our graduates accept employment in the golf course industry following graduation. Both summer internships and full-time positions are plentiful with demand for our students far exceeding the number of students in the program. The opportunities for advancement are still great within this industry. The average salary range for students accepting assistant superintendent positions upon leaving the university range from $24,000 to $28,000 per year. A 1995 survey by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America listed the average annual salary for an assistant superintendent in the Great Lakes region at $27,733 per year. Salaries for golf course superintendents are attractive with the same survey indicating that golf course superintendents average from $45,654 to $66,457 depending upon the size of the property they manage and their level of training. Contact any of the faculty at the University of Illinois turfgrass program for more information on careers in turfgrass management.