What Does it Take to Be a Nursery Worker?
Nursery Worker Example Work in nursery facilities or at customer location planting, cultivating, harvesting, and transplanting trees, shrubs, or plants.
A Day in the Life of a Nursery Worker
- Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers.
- Plant, spray, weed, fertilize, and water plants, shrubs, and trees, using hand tools and gardening tools.
- Dip cut flowers into disinfectant, count them into bunches, and place them in boxes to prepare them for storage and shipping.
- Record information about plants and plant growth.
- Regulate greenhouse conditions, and indoor and outdoor irrigation systems.
- Dig, cut, and transplant seedlings, cuttings, trees, and shrubs.
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Nursery Worker Required Skills
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.
Related Job Titles
- Propagator Laborer
- Replanting Machine Crew
- Flower Stripper
- Flower Planter
- Greenhouse Staff
Job Opportunities for Nursery Workers
In the United States, there were 503,700 jobs for Nursery Worker in 2016. 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. The BLS estimates 76,800 yearly job openings in this field.

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.
Salary for a Nursery Worker
The typical yearly salary for Nursery Workers is somewhere between $21,900 and $35,200.

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 |
What Tools & Technology do Nursery Workers Use?
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 to Become a Nursery Worker
Are there Nursery Workers education requirements?

What work experience do I need to become a Nursery Worker?

Where Nursery Workers Work

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Similar Careers
Those thinking about becoming a Nursery Worker might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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