How do I become a nursery hand
Get qualified to work as a nursery hand with a course recognised across Australia. Speak to a training provider to learn more.
Related career opportunities
Browse occupations related to Nursery Hand.
Common questions
In Australia, a full time Nursery Hand generally earns $1,000 per week ($52,000 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 5,400 people working as a Nursery Hand in Australia and this number has dropped slightly over the last five years. Nursery Hand positions can be found in most areas of Australia.
Source: Australian Government Labour Market Insights
Courses.com.au Team
A Certificate II or III in Horticulture is a good way to get started in a Nursery Hand role. You could also consider a Certificate II or III in Agriculture.
Courses.com.au Team
Further reading
What can you do with a Certificate III in Horticulture?
18th November 2020
5 jobs for people who like working with children
31st August 2021All nursery hand courses
- AHC10322 Certificate I in Horticulture
- AHC20116 Certificate II in Agriculture
- AHC20320 Certificate II in Production Horticulture (Floriculture)
- AHC20416 Certificate II in Horticulture
- AHC20422 Certificate II in Horticulture
- AHC20621 Certificate II in Parks and Gardens
- AHC20720 Certificate II in Nursery Operations
- AHC20720 Certificate II in Nursery Operations (Nursery Production)
- AHC20720 Certificate II in Nursery Operations (Nursery Production, Retail Nursery)
- AHC20720 Certificate II in Nursery Operations (Retail Nursery)
- AHC30116 Certificate III in Agriculture
- AHC30122 Certificate III in Agriculture
- AHC30122 Certificate III in Agriculture (Traineeship)
- AHC30710 Certificate III in Horticulture
- AHC30716 Certificate III in Horticulture
- AHC30722 Certificate III in Horticulture
- AHC31016 Certificate III in Parks and Gardens
- AHC31021 Certificate III in Parks and Gardens
- AHC31024 Certificate III in Parks and Gardens
- AHC31120 Certificate III in Nursery Operations
- AHC31120 Certificate III in Nursery Operations (Nursery Production)
- AHC31120 Certificate III in Nursery Operations (Nursery Production, Retail Nursery)
- AHC31124 Certificate III in Nursery Operations
- AHC31124 Certificate III in Nursery Operations (Retail Nursery)
- AHC31216 Certificate III in Retail Nursery
- AHC40316 Certificate IV in Production Horticulture
- AHC40616 Certificate IV in Production Nursery
- FWP20116 Certificate II in Forest Growing and Management
Nursery Hand careers
A Nursery Hand works on the daily tasks needed to successfully run a plant nursery. Your role might require you to help propagate or cultivate plants or get them ready for sale or transport. You’ll be ensuring the plants are in good condition and may have to adjust conditions to make sure they thrive. A Nursery Hand will have to fertilise, weed and keep plants watered and you’ll be working with manual and automatic irrigation systems. You’ll need a good knowledge of plant types and be able to use a range of tools and equipment.
Nursery Hands have a very physical role and you’ll need to be ready for some heavy lifting. You’ll have to be good at following instructions and be flexible enough to handle a range of different tasks. You’ll spend most of your day outdoors and will need to work in all sorts of weather conditions. A Nursery Hand might also speak with customers so you’ll need good communication skills.
