Horticulture worker
Also known as: crop worker, horticultural farm worker, flower picker, farm hands, horticultural worker, fruit picker
About this occupation
Horticulture workers carry out practical activities and assist in nurseries or greenhouses for the production of horticultural crops.
Essential skills and knowledge
- store crops
- prepare planting area for planting
- nurse plants
- monitor fields
- supervise hygiene procedures in agricultural settings
- grow plants
- maintain a greenhouse
- maintain gardening equipment
- harvest crop
- execute fertilisation
- maintain storage facilities
- prepare planting area
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers (O*NET 37-1012.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Establish and enforce operating procedures and work standards that will ensure adequate performance and personnel safety.
- Schedule work for crews, depending on work priorities, crew or equipment availability, or weather conditions.
- Tour grounds, such as parks, botanical gardens, cemeteries, or golf courses, to inspect conditions of plants and soil.
- Monitor project activities to ensure that instructions are followed, deadlines are met, and schedules are maintained.
- Direct activities of workers who perform duties, such as landscaping, cultivating lawns, or pruning trees and shrubs.
- Inspect completed work to ensure conformance to specifications, standards, and contract requirements.
- Typical education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Preparation
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Interests
- Enterprising, Conventional, Realistic
Top skills: Monitoring, Time Management, Active Listening, Management of Personnel Resources, Speaking, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$58,430 a year (2025), 130,760 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (3.9)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementVery important (3.9)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (3.7)
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalImportant (3.5)
- ChemistryO*NET: ChemistryImportant (3.2)
- WoodworkO*NET: Building and ConstructionImportant (3.2)
- Technical DrawingO*NET: DesignImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
- First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.