Life & Physical Science
Horticulturists
SOC 19-4013
Study and improve the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals.
The job
Median pay
$52k
$46k to $63k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+4.8% projected
Openings a year
3k
BLS projection
Typical education
Bachelor's
Our model
AI displacement risk
Moderate
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
9/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
26th pct
More exposed than 26% of occupations · modeled estimate · 32nd pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
54/100
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Science
- Critical Thinking
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 3,990 | 0.2 | 2.3× | $54k |
| Texas | 900 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $48k |
| Oregon | 820 | 0.4 | 4.4× | $51k |
| Washington | 660 | 0.2 | 2.0× | $62k |
| New Jersey | 590 | 0.1 | 1.5× | $57k |
| Pennsylvania | 590 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $48k |
| New York | 580 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $55k |
| Idaho | 560 | 0.7 | 7.0× | $49k |
| Wisconsin | 540 | 0.2 | 2.0× | $56k |
| Indiana | 530 | 0.2 | 1.8× | $45k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 420 | 0.3 | 2.9× | $51k |
| Minnesota | 380 | 0.1 | 1.4× | $58k |
| Illinois | 290 | 0.0 | 0.5× | $61k |
| Maryland | 280 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $58k |
| Colorado | 270 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $59k |
| Georgia | 260 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $53k |
| Massachusetts | 260 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $57k |
| Florida | 250 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $59k |
| Michigan | 250 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $52k |
| Arizona | 233 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $51k~ |
| Ohio | 230 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $57k |
| Tennessee | 219 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $48k~ |
| Washington DC | 176 | 0.3 | 2.7× | $81k~ |
| Nebraska | 170 | 0.2 | 1.8× | $49k |
| Kentucky | 160 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $65k |
| Missouri | 150 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $60k |
| Virginia | 150 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $65k |
| Arkansas | 140 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $47k |
| North Carolina | 130 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $49k |
| Connecticut | 128 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $50k~ |
| New Mexico | 120 | 0.1 | 1.5× | $47k |
| Nevada | 110 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $59k |
| South Dakota | 100 | 0.2 | 2.3× | $49k |
| Montana | 88 | 0.2 | 1.8× | $45k~ |
| Utah | 80 | 0.0 | 0.5× | $45k |
| Hawaii | 75 | 0.1 | 1.3× | $47k~ |
| West Virginia | 72 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $43k~ |
| Alaska | 69 | 0.2 | 2.3× | $55k~ |
| Delaware | 61 | 0.1 | 1.3× | $53k~ |
| Kansas | 60 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $40k |
| New Hampshire | 59 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $50k~ |
| Maine | 56 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $48k~ |
| Mississippi | 50 | 0.0 | 0.5× | $51k |
| Oklahoma | 50 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $47k |
| Vermont | 50 | 0.2 | 1.8× | $61k |
| North Dakota | 46 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $45k~ |
| Wyoming | 44 | 0.2 | 1.7× | $46k~ |
| Rhode Island | 43 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $56k~ |
| South Carolina | 40 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $39k |
| Alabama | 30 | 0.0 | 0.1× | $41k |
| Louisiana | 30 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $44k |
Top metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA970 jobs · $54k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ580 jobs · $60k median
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA420 jobs · $80k median
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA390 jobs · $51k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX350 jobs · $49k median
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA310 jobs · $61k median
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN300 jobs · $45k median
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA280 jobs · $52k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Horticulturists interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.