Life As a Nursery Worker
Nursery Worker Job Description Work in nursery facilities or at customer location planting, cultivating, harvesting, and transplanting trees, shrubs, or plants.
What Do Nursery Workers Do On a Daily Basis?
- Dig, rake, and screen soil, filling cold frames and hot beds in preparation for planting.
- Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers.
- Cut, roll, and stack sod.
- Tie and bunch flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees, wrap their roots, and pack them into boxes to fill orders.
- Dip cut flowers into disinfectant, count them into bunches, and place them in boxes to prepare them for storage and shipping.
- Inspect plants and bud ties to assess quality.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Nursery Worker?
When polled, Nursery Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Types of Nursery Worker Jobs
- Plant Production Worker
- Greenhouse Specialist
- Tree Surgeon Helper
- Flower Cutter
- Flower Planter
What Kind of Nursery Worker Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 503,700 jobs for Nursery Worker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 1.1% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 5,500 new jobs for Nursery Worker by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 76,800 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Nursery Worker are Alaska, Nevada, and Vermont. Watch out if you plan on working in South Carolina, Florida, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Nursery Worker Salary
The salary for Nursery Workers ranges between about $21,900 and $35,200 a year.

Nursery Workers who work in District of Columbia, Wyoming, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
How much do Nursery Workers make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $22,820 |
Alaska | $26,030 |
Arizona | $25,120 |
Arkansas | $22,020 |
California | $26,240 |
Colorado | $31,870 |
Connecticut | $29,760 |
Delaware | $28,390 |
District of Columbia | $38,760 |
Florida | $24,520 |
Georgia | $23,410 |
Hawaii | $32,740 |
Idaho | $24,340 |
Illinois | $30,020 |
Indiana | $24,820 |
Iowa | $30,630 |
Kansas | $28,450 |
Kentucky | $27,180 |
Louisiana | $26,060 |
Maine | $29,520 |
Maryland | $31,900 |
Massachusetts | $34,500 |
Michigan | $25,130 |
Minnesota | $31,510 |
Mississippi | $25,040 |
Missouri | $29,010 |
Montana | $24,850 |
Nebraska | $31,430 |
Nevada | $24,720 |
New Hampshire | $28,640 |
New Jersey | $27,810 |
New Mexico | $21,360 |
New York | $32,720 |
North Carolina | $24,770 |
North Dakota | $30,830 |
Ohio | $25,730 |
Oklahoma | $29,930 |
Oregon | $26,440 |
Pennsylvania | $29,270 |
South Carolina | $27,700 |
South Dakota | $28,560 |
Tennessee | $22,700 |
Texas | $22,120 |
Utah | $26,870 |
Vermont | $31,680 |
Virginia | $27,910 |
Washington | $29,430 |
West Virginia | $25,430 |
Wisconsin | $26,870 |
Wyoming | $35,260 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Nursery Workers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Nursery Workers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- IBM Lotus Notes
How do I Become a Nursery Worker?
What education or degrees do I need to become a Nursery Worker?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Nursery Worker?

Nursery Workers Sector

Below are examples of industries where Nursery Workers work:

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References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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