How To Become A Horticulturist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a horticulturist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Neil Anderson

Horticulture is a scientific discipline that is primarily concerned with the propagation of plant life. Horticulturists are technically proficient in the agricultural sciences. They often work with farmers, advising them on how to grow crops, experimenting with different strains of fruits and vegetables, and imparting knowledge on pesticides, herbicides, and other ways to make harvests more bountiful. They also have some expertise in decorative plants and will sometimes be hired for landscape design. They can also be involved in the restoration of natural biomes, helping to regenerate the local flora.

Most employers require their Horticulturists to have a college diploma at least. Employed American Horticulturists commonly hold degrees in Plant Sciences, Applied Horticulture, and Environmental Science.

A Horticulturist in the United States earns an average yearly salary of roughly about $35,152. That's more or less $16 an hour. Although, this fluctuates depending on your location. Employers in Alaska, California, and New Jersey tend to pay their Horticulturists a highly competitive, above-average yearly wage.

What general advice would you give to a horticulturist?

Dr. Neil Anderson

Professor, University of Minnesota

As you take courses, talk with your cohort colleagues and professors to learn more about each topic area. Identify one that excites you and that you're passionate about and take more courses in that field. Do they still spark your passion for this topic? Maybe this is the professional area for you! If so, land an internship in your junior year in that specific area so you can learn more about it as well as see if this is something you could do full time in your future profession.

ScoreHorticulturistUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,583

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.7

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.25%

Asian 9.14%

Black or African American 4.36%

Hispanic or Latino 9.59%

Unknown 2.76%

White 73.90%

Gender

female 40.60%

male 59.40%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

5.7

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a horticulturist

Explore horticulturist education requirements

Most common horticulturist degrees

Bachelor's

59.6 %

Associate

20.3 %

High School Diploma

10.0 %

Start to develop specific horticulturist skills

Skills	Percentages
GRASS	12.75%
Irrigation Systems	9.22%
Horticulture	9.08%
Grounds Maintenance	6.60%
Mowing	5.73%

Complete relevant horticulturist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New horticulturists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a horticulturist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real horticulturist resumes.

Research horticulturist duties and responsibilities

Manage payroll processing and all aspects of accounts receivable and payable.
Operate snow plows, snow blowers and large salt sprayers.
Maintain all flower beds, landscape areas, and turf grass areas.
Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers.

Prepare your horticulturist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your horticulturist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a horticulturist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable horticulturist resume templates

Build a professional horticulturist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your horticulturist resume.