Put your green thumb to work! Horticulturists work to transform or maintain areas for recreation or relaxation. Design, build and look after gardens and parks working with plants, soil and water. This is a highly rewarding career that allows a responsible, artistic, and environmentally minded individual to work outdoors in
an enjoyable field of work.
Education Requirements:
A community college course of one to three years in horticulture or a four- to five-year university program in areas such as botanical research or landscape architecture is recommended. After, you can be evaluated and achieve your Canadian Certified Horticultural Technician (CCHT) in either landscape construction, maintenance or retail garden centre. This requires at least 2000 hours of industry experience
(1000 hours credit given for related education), and passing a written examination of technical knowledge and a series of practical skills tests. The best place to start your career path is with a summer job in the industry.
Job Prospects:
There are dozens of employment options for the skilled horticulturalist. There are career opportunities working for production nurseries, landscape construction contractors, landscape maintenance contractors, lawn care contractors, sod production companies, landscape architectural firms, the government, public park systems, botanical gardens, horticultural gardens, and colleges and universities.
Earning Power:
The average annual salary for a Canadian horticulturalist is approx. $31,164. The upper range of salary can reach over $50,000.
