---

Horticulture Operations

Types of Degrees Horticulture Operations Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Horticulture Operations have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	397
Associate’s Degree	714
Bachelor’s Degree	97
Master’s Degree	1,052

What Horticulture Operations Majors Need to Know

Programs in Horticulture Operations develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Horticulture Operations graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Horticulture Operations emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Horticulture Operations program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Horticulture Operations careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Horticulture Operations graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Horticulture Operations professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Image editing software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Experience Manager (AEM)	Web page creation and editing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Horticulture Operations graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• Farm Agent
• Extension Specialist
• Agricultural Extension Educator
• Home Economics Expert
• County Extension Agent
• CTE Teacher (Career and Technical Education Teacher)
• Home Improvement Advisor
• Agricultural Extension Agent
• Cooperative Extension Agent
• 4-H Agent
• County Home Demonstrator
• Home Services Advisor
• Feed Advisor
• Farm Management Advisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Horticulture Operations graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	46.0%
Bachelor’s degree	15.5%
Doctoral degree	10.9%
Postsecondary certificate	6.6%
Less than a high school diploma	5.9%
Post-doctoral training	4.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.3%
Some college courses	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Horticulture Operations?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 46.4% women and 53.6% men among Horticulture Operations graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,053	46.4%
Men	1,217	53.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Horticulture Operations graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,491	65.7%
Asian	33	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	319	14.1%
Black or African American	255	11.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	19	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.0%
Two or More Races	72	3.2%
Race Unknown	71	3.1%
International Students	9	0.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Horticulture Operations Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Horticulture Operations graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,555
4 years	$43,505
5 years	$48,599

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $48,599 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Horticulture Operations Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Horticulture Operations graduates earn a median of $43,505 four years after completion — roughly 14% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	01.06
Applied Horticulture/Horticultural Business Services, Other	01.0699
Floriculture/Floristry Operations and Management	01.0608
Greenhouse Operations and Management	01.0604
Landscaping and Groundskeeping	01.0605
Ornamental Horticulture	01.0603
Plant Nursery Operations and Management	01.0606
Public Horticulture	01.0609
Reserved	01.0680
Turf and Turfgrass Management	01.0607
Urban and Community Horticulture	01.0610
Agricultural Animal Breeding	01.0902

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.