How do I become a horticulturalist
Get qualified to work as a horticulturalist with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.
Related career opportunities
Browse occupations related to Horticulturalist.
Common questions
In Australia, a full time Horticulturalist generally earns $1,325 per week ($68,900 annual salary) before tax. This is a median figure for full-time employees and should be considered a guide only. As you gain more experience you can expect a potentially higher salary than people who are new to the industry.
Courses.com.au Team
There are currently 98,200 people working in horticulture in Australia. This number is expected to increase to 104,000 over the next five years. Horticulturalist positions can be found in most areas of Australia.
Source: The Labour Market Information Portal – 2019 Occupation Projections
Courses.com.au Team
If you’d like to start a career as a Horticulturalist you could enrol in a Certificate IV in Horticulture. This course usually takes 18 months and will give you the knowledge you need to work in a role caring for plants.
Courses.com.au Team
Further reading
What can you do with a Certificate III in Horticulture?
18th November 2020
Careers for people who love the outdoors
14th September 2021All horticulturalist courses
- AHC30624 Certificate III in Production Horticulture
- AHC31120 Certificate III in Nursery Operations (Nursery Production)
- AHC40320 Certificate IV in Production Horticulture
- AHC40422 Certificate IV in Horticulture
- AHC40620 Certificate IV in Nursery Operations (Retail Nursery)
- AHC50422 Diploma of Horticulture Management
- AHCCHM307 Prepare and Apply Chemicals to Control Pest, Weeds and Diseases
Horticulturalist careers
A Horticulturalist works in a range of different fields to cultivate green areas or help other people select plants. You might work with farmers to help them choose a suitable crop or improve their crop health. You might help to prepare gardens in parks or town areas or you might work to landscape private green areas. Horticulturalists conduct tests on soil quality, measure water levels and consider weather conditions to ensure a garden has the best chance to thrive. You might also work on projects in natural areas to restore environmental conditions.
Horticulturalists need to have a passion for plants and enjoy working outdoors. It’s a physical job and you’ll do a lot of manual labour. You’ll need to be good at keeping records and be able to follow instructions and work to a plan. Horticulturalists may be working on several projects at any one time so you’ll need to be good at organisation and time management.
