Horticulture
What Horticulture Graduates Do
Your career in horticulture starts with your hands in the soil. As an entry-level landscaping or groundskeeping worker, you’ll spend your days outdoors operating mowers and trimmers, planting seasonal beds, and installing irrigation systems. You’ll learn the trade from the ground up, transforming ordinary spaces into beautiful, functional landscapes.
With a few seasons of experience, you can advance to a First-Line Supervisor. Your focus will shift from doing the work to managing it—scheduling crews, estimating job costs, ordering plants from a nursery, and ensuring every project meets professional standards. This path offers a significant jump in earnings. For those with an entrepreneurial spirit, you could manage a large-scale farm or even launch your own landscaping business. There is strong, consistent demand for skilled workers, with tens of thousands of openings for supervisors and groundskeepers annually. Best of all, this is tangible, hands-on work that can’t be outsourced to a computer or done from a remote office.
Registered Apprenticeship Pathways
The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 12 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Horticulture. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.
| Apprenticeship | Training Hours | Type | Salary RangeSalary | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Agricultural Service Worker
RAPIDS 703 |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Time | $38K – $45,200 – $51K | 3.8% |
|
Beekeeper
RAPIDS 886 |
8000 hrs
~4.0 yrs |
Time | $68K – $87,980 – $115K | -1.3% |
|
Bison Herd Manager
RAPIDS 1136 |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Time | $48K – $59,330 – $77K | 2.5% |
|
Dairy Grazier
RAPIDS 2019HY |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Hybrid | $68K – $87,980 – $115K | -1.3% |
|
Farmer, General (Agric)
RAPIDS 177 |
8000 hrs
~4.0 yrs |
Time | $68K – $87,980 – $115K | -1.3% |
|
Greenskeeper Ii
RAPIDS 934 |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Time | $35K – $38,090 – $46K | 3.6% |
|
Greenskeeper Ii
RAPIDS 0934CB |
Competency | Competency | $35K – $38,090 – $46K | 3.6% |
|
Landscape Gardener
RAPIDS 271 |
8000 hrs
~4.0 yrs |
Time | $35K – $38,090 – $46K | 3.6% |
|
Landscape Management Technician
RAPIDS 574 |
2000 hrs
~1.0 yrs |
Time | $35K – $38,090 – $46K | 3.6% |
|
Landscape Technician
RAPIDS 571 |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Time | $35K – $38,090 – $46K | 3.6% |
|
Manager, Retail Store
RAPIDS 578 |
6000 hrs
~3.0 yrs |
Time | $38K – $47,320 – $61K | -5.0% |
|
Manager, Retail Store (Store Manager)
RAPIDS 0578CL |
Competency | Competency | $38K – $47,320 – $61K | -5.0% |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.
Best Schools for Horticulture
9 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and AI-proof analysis.
| # | School | Score | EarningsEarn | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO |
70 65–72 |
$28,703/yr | 81.8x |
| 2 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI |
66 65–67 |
$42,513/yr | 27.1x |
| 3 | Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA |
64 62–66 |
$35,900/yr | 33.1x |
| 4 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC |
63 61–64 |
$38,339/yr | 20.6x |
| 5 | Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute Wooster, OH |
60 57–62 |
$34,190/yr | 21.9x |
| 6 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH |
59 55–60 |
$34,190/yr | 15.6x |
| 7 | Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg, SC |
59 58–60 |
$29,260/yr | 28.0x |
| 8 | Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA |
53 50–54 |
$30,185/yr | 7.4x |
| 9 | Lake Land College Mattoon, IL |
47 44–48 |
$7,972/yr | 17.6x |
Highest Earning Horticulture Programs
Schools where Horticulture graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University | $42,513/yr | 66 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $38,339/yr | 63 |
| Kirkwood Community College | $35,900/yr | 64 |
| Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute | $34,190/yr | 60 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | $34,190/yr | 59 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | $30,185/yr | 53 |
| Spartanburg Community College | $29,260/yr | 59 |
| Front Range Community College | $28,703/yr | 70 |
| Lake Land College | $7,972/yr | 47 |
Best ROI for Horticulture
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Horticulture.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Range Community College | 81.8x | $28,703/yr | 70 |
| Kirkwood Community College | 33.1x | $35,900/yr | 64 |
| Spartanburg Community College | 28.0x | $29,260/yr | 59 |
| Michigan State University | 27.1x | $42,513/yr | 66 |
| Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute | 21.9x | $34,190/yr | 60 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | 20.6x | $38,339/yr | 63 |
| Lake Land College | 17.6x | $7,972/yr | 47 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | 15.6x | $34,190/yr | 59 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | 7.4x | $30,185/yr | 53 |
Related Majors
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Considering a 4-Year Degree?
Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Horticulture degree programs stack up on earnings, AI disruption risk, and ROI.