Nursery Worker
A nursery worker, often referred to as a greenhouse or horticultural worker, plays a vital role in the cultivation and care of plants within nurseries and greenhouses. These workers are responsible for various tasks such as planting, tending, and harvesting a wide range of crops, including food plants and ornamental species. Typically employed on a seasonal basis, nursery workers are most active during the spring and summer months, although they may also assist with machinery maintenance during the off-seasons.
The job requires significant physical stamina and an affinity for nature, as nursery workers engage in physically demanding tasks that include soil preparation, irrigation, pest management, and customer service. While no formal education is required to begin in this field, a background in agricultural science or biology is beneficial, and pursuing internships can enhance job prospects.
Working predominantly indoors, nursery workers utilize various tools and machinery while ensuring a safe environment by adhering to health regulations. Despite the physically intensive nature of the job, it offers opportunities for individuals passionate about agriculture to contribute to the growth and sustainability of plant life. The median annual earnings for nursery workers are approximately $34,790, reflecting their essential role in the agricultural sector.
Nursery Worker
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Interests: Gardening, planting and harvesting, agricultural science, horticulture, customer service
Earnings (Yearly Median): $34,790 per year $16.73 per hour
Employment & Outlook: -2% (Decline)
Entry-Level Education None
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job Training Short-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. Nursery workers, also known as greenhouse workers, agricultural workers, horticultural workers, farm laborers, or harvesters, perform the physical labor necessary to operate nurseries and greenhouses. Nurseries and greenhouses are indoor spaces where plants are raised and tended until the plants reach the size and strength to be replanted in outdoor environments. Nursery workers support the production of food crops, ornamental plants, trees, sod, bulbs, and shrubs.
Work Environment. Nursery workers work predominately indoors in nurseries or greenhouses. They do not generally have set work hours but must work until the task (e.g., planting, harvesting, or irrigating) is completed. Nurseries and greenhouses typically employ nursery workers on a seasonal basis. Nursery workers work the majority of their hours in the spring and summer. During the fallow seasons, autumn and winter, nursery workers may be employed to maintain or repair machinery and equipment.
Occupation Interest. Individuals attracted to the nursery worker occupation tend to be physically strong and love nature. Those who excel as nursery workers exhibit physical stamina, friendliness, patience, and self-direction. Nursery workers should enjoy physical work and have a background in agriculture.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Nursery workers are employed in retail nurseries and greenhouses, wholesale nurseries and greenhouses, private nurseries and greenhouses, and mail order or catalog nursery and greenhouses businesses. Duties tend to vary by employer.
The primary nursery and greenhouse tasks are planting, tending, and harvesting crops. Nursery workers first shape planting beds, till and test the soil, and manage soil nutrient content with fertilizers, peat moss, and other soil conditioning agents. Seeds, bulbs, or transplanted seedlings may be planted in the prepared bed. Sometimes, nursery workers graft plants together to create hybrids or new varieties. Once the plants begin growing, nursery workers weed and irrigate the planting beds and wrap burlap sacking around tree roots. The nursery workers also monitor and manage the greenhouse light and temperature control systems to ensure healthy growth. Nursery workers use natural and chemical methods to manage pests and dispose of any pest- and blight-contaminated trees or plants. At the appropriate times, they prune, thin, and harvest grains, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and nuts from the plants, often to encourage future fruitfulness. Nursery workers may also be involved in planting decisions for upcoming years.
Nursery workers assist in their establishment’s maintenance and customer service activities. They safely store fuels and chemicals. They repair greenhouse and nursery irrigation, lighting, heating, and cooling systems. Nursery workers may prepare mail-order shipments of plants and seeds and load trucks with crops and plants for transport to wholesale or retail customers. They keep the nursery and greenhouse clean and ready for customers’ visits, which may require digging up mature trees ready for sale, cutting and rolling sod, and potting and labeling plants with their common or scientific names. Nursery workers promote the nursery business and sell crops, plants, trees, shrubs, and related items to the public and wholesale buyers.
Additionally, all nursery workers are responsible for educating themselves about agricultural workers' rights (work conditions, pay, and safety).
Budders (405.684-010). Budders bud field-grown rose plants with hybrid buds during the rose growing season.
Horticultural Workers I (405.684-014). Horticultural workers I plant, cultivate, and harvest flowers and shrubs and perform related duties in greenhouses and other environmentally controlled structures.
Flower Pickers (405.687-010). Flower pickers harvest flowers working as a member of a crew.
Horticultural Workers II (405.687-014). Horticultural workers II prepare soil and growth media and cultivate and assist in horticultural activities under supervision, on acreage, in a nursery, or in greenhouses and sheds.
Orchid Transplanters (405.687-018). Orchid transplanters transplant orchids in greenhouses according to specific instructions.
Tree Surgeon Helpers (408.687-018). Tree surgeon helpers hand or hoist tools and equipment to tree pruners or tree surgeons, lower and section pruned limbs and reduce them to chips, rake debris, and load it onto trucks.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Nursery workers work in heated nurseries and greenhouses. Nursery work is very physical and requires extensive hard labor, walking, lifting, and bending. Nursery workers are at risk for job-related injuries, including heat stroke, back strain, pesticide exposure, and machine accidents. Nursery workers must wear protective gear in facilities where pesticides are used, such as chemical-resistant gloves.
Human Environment. A nursery worker’s work environment tends to be somewhat isolated as nurseries and greenhouses can be located remotely. That said, nurseries and greenhouses are enclosed spaces where employees work side-by-side towards a shared purpose. Depending on the place of employment, nursery workers may also interact directly with customers.
Technological Environment. Nursery workers use machinery and equipment, such as garden bed tools, fertilizing equipment, mulch spreaders, ventilation and heating systems, mowers, pesticide sprayers, trucks, irrigation systems, and hand tools to complete their work. Nursery workers with managerial responsibilities may also be required to use computers, spreadsheets, and Internet communication tools to track plants, growing seasons, and yields and communicate with customers.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school-level study of agricultural science, biology, and business can provide a strong foundation for work as a nursery worker. Due to the diversity of nursery worker responsibilities, high school students interested in this career path may benefit from seeking internships or part-time work with local nurseries, greenhouses, and farms. High school students can secure employment as nursery workers directly following graduation.
Postsecondary. Postsecondary students interested in becoming nursery workers should work towards an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in agriculture or farm management. Coursework in business and foreign languages may also prove helpful in future work. Postsecondary students can gain work experience and potential advantage in future job searches by securing internships or part-time employment with local nurseries, greenhouses, and farms. Postsecondary training can lead to managerial positions in the field.
Related Occupations
− Florist
Bibliography
“Agricultural Workers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/OOH/farming-fishing-and-forestry/agricultural-workers.htm. Accessed 23 Aug. 2024.
“Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 45-2092 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouses.” Occupational Employment Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes452092.htm. Accessed 23 Aug. 2024.