male worker tending to the cabbage in the field

Nursery and greenhouse workers

(NOC 8432)
Annual Earnings
$37,541
Typical Education Background
High School
Job Openings
(2022-2032)
630

Career Overview

Nursery and greenhouse workers plant, cultivate and harvest trees, shrubs, flowers, greenhouse vegetables and plants.

People in this occupation:

  • Work in indoor and outdoor nurseries and greenhouses
  • Often work with their hands for extended periods of time
  • Operate machinery, such as tractors, forklifts, skid steer loaders and specialized horticulture equipment
  • Have a general knowledge of plant biology, plant diseases and insects and the ability to recognize different species
  • Should enjoy working with nature, including working with flowers, plants, vegetables and trees
  • Serve nursery and greenhouse customers

 

Duties

Nursery and greenhouse workers perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Prepare growing media, plant bulbs, seeds and cuttings, graft and bud plants, set transplants out onto the rooting media, and transplant seedlings and rooted cuttings
  • Spray trees, shrubs, flowers and plants to manage specific pests
  • Operate greenhouse and nursery irrigation systems to water
  • Dig, harvest, transplant and prepare trees, shrubs, flowers and plants for sale and shipping
  • Provide information and advice to customers on gardening and the care of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants and lawns
  • Operate tractors and other equipment to fertilize, cultivate, harvest and spray fields and plants
  • Maintain inventory and order materials as required
  • Clean work areas

 

Earnings

Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.

Annual Earnings

$37,541

Provincial Hourly Rate

High$31.50/hr
Median$18.00/hr
Low$15.65/hr
Source: B.C. Labour Market Information Office, derived from 2022 Job Bank Wage data

Work Environment

# Workers Employed

3,500

% Employed Full Time

18%
Source: 2016 Census

Nursery and greenhouse workers typically work 40 hours per week, however, they may be required to work up to 60 hours per week during the peak harvesting/shipping season.

Workers may spend a large portion of their day outdoors or in climate controlled greenhouses. These workers can be at risk for heat exhaustion when working outdoors in summer months for extended periods of time. Cold temperatures may also be experienced.

Specialized workers (those who have pest applicators certificates) are required to work with hazardous chemicals, so they are required to wear safety equipment such as face masks, safety glasses, and protective gloves and clothing. Non-certified workers are not exposed to pesticides as nursery and greenhouse operations follow strict rules enforced by WorkSafeBC with respect to re-entry times to sprayed areas.

Nursery and greenhouse workers do a variety of jobs, including plant potting, shipping, receiving, propagation and harvesting.

Greenhouse workers mainly work with their hands during the picking of greenhouse vegetables or flowers, using a variety of specialty tools. This may lead to repetitive motion injuries, such as tendonitis and bursitis.

Some workers may be required lift heavy objects. As such, workers must maintain an adequate level of physical fitness and take precautions when lifting heavy objects in order to avoid back or other injuries.

Increased attention to safety within this industry has significantly lowered the risk of workplace injuries and ailments.

Career Pathways

Workers typically begin as general labourers. After gaining extensive experience or upon completion of a post-secondary horticultural program, workers may find work as assistant pest managers, propagators, assistant growers, technical assistants, lead hand on potting, picking and shipping crews or may be hired in a sales position. Workers may also choose to become an owner/operator of their own businesses.

With additional education or training (i.e., diploma or degree in Horticulture or Horticulturalist Journeyperson apprenticeship), workers may obtain professional designations as Certified Horticultural Technicians, Certified Landscape Designers or as a Certified Landscape Professional. Individuals who complete these programs typically move into more advanced positions, such as horticultural supervisors, greenhouse managers, nursery managers, production managers, packing managers, pest management managers, growers, head propagators, or can work as sales and marketing managers. They may also work for municipal parks, golf courses or as landscaping contractors.

Occupational Interests

It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.

For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.

Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:

Realistic
Realistic

Job Titles

Christmas tree shearer / trimmer
Horticulturist helper
Plantscaper, interior
Worker, forest nursery / tree grafter
Worker, greenhouse / hydroponics
Worker, horticulture

Education, Training and Skills

Completion of secondary school may be required to work in these occupations. On-the-job training is typically provided and is the most common form of training for this occupation.

Other requirements may include:

  • Completion of college courses in horticulture or a related field
  • A provincial Pest Applicators Certificate for employees who apply chemical fertilizers and pesticides

WorkSafeBC and the British Columbia Landscape and Nursery Association have developed a safety and training manual that is used to educate retail greenhouse and nursery workers about workplace hazards and safe working practices.

Workers may also expand their knowledge base and improve their skills through:

  • One- to five-day training sessions and educational seminars offered through HortEducationBC, the industry training authority for the horticultural sector in B.C.
  • Educational materials and testing for longer term programs from HortEducationBC, such as the horticulture journey person program and several other professional designations

These programs are not mandatory for individuals working in this occupational group, however, they may assist in career path development.

First aid and Pest Applicator certification are not necessary in order to work in this occupation, but can help workers in this field. Previous experience operating machinery is also beneficial.

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

  • Adult Special Education
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Find out more information about programs offered specifically for this career.

Skills

Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.

Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.

See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

47%
Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

46%
Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

46%
Speaking

Talking to others to share information effectively.

46%
Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

45%
Monitoring

Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

41%
Operation Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.

41%
Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

40%
Time Management

Managing one’s own time and the time of others.

39%
Judgment and Decision-Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

38%

Labour Market Statistics

Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.

Employment

Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.

Employment

3,500
Source: 2016 Census

Employment by Region

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Employment (2022) % Employment of this Occupation
Cariboo 80 3.1%
Kootenay 70 4.1%
Mainland/Southwest 1,830 70.1%
North Coast and Nechako N/A 0.6%
Northeast N/A 0.7%
Thompson-Okanagan 280 11.1%
Vancouver Island/Coast 360 10.4%
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Labour Market Outlook

The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.

Forecasted Job Openings (2022-2032)

630
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Forecasted Job Openings

Forecasted Employment Growth Rate

Composition of Job Openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job Openings by Region (2022-2032)

Map of BC Map of Cariboo region Map of Kootenay region Map of Mainland/Southwest region Map of North Coast and Nechako region Map of Northeast region Map of Thompson-Okanagan region Map of Vancouver Island/Coast region
Cariboo
Kootenay
Mainland/Southwest
North Coast and Nechako
Northeast
Thompson-Okanagan
Vancouver Island/Coast
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Region Job Openings Avg. Annual Employment Growth
Cariboo 0 -1.3%
Kootenay 0 0.0%
Mainland/Southwest 480 0.5%
North Coast and Nechako N/A N/A
Northeast N/A N/A
Thompson-Okanagan 40 0.0%
Vancouver Island/Coast 100 0.5%
N/A: Data is not available for this region.
Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Industry Highlights

Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.

Forecasted Job Openings by Industry

IndustryJob Openings (2022-2032)
Retail Trade115,500
Wholesale Trade33,100
Health Care and Social Assistance149,700
Manufacturing49,200
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services148,000
For additional industry information, visit the Industry Profiles page.
Source: 2016 Census and B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Insights from Industry

Employment opportunities will arise primarily due to new job growth.

In recent years, B.C. greenhouse vegetable growers have faced various difficulties. Increased international competition, a high Canadian dollar, increasing energy prices, the inability of growers to obtain outside investment, and the wide availability of greenhouse grown vegetables have lead to decreased profit margins for growers. These trends will continue to have a negative effect on work opportunities for greenhouse workers in the province

In addition, improvements in greenhouse and nursery technology have led to increased automation/mechanization. Fewer unskilled workers are now needed for manual labour tasks, but more skilled workers are needed to operate equipment.

In recent years, increasing housing and commercial construction in B.C. had a positive effect on the nursery and greenhouse sector, thereby providing new work opportunities. A high level of construction activity fuelled growth in the landscaping industry, which led to increased demand for nursery and greenhouse grown plants. This trend had a positive effect on work in retail and wholesale nurseries and in greenhouses.

Many greenhouse and nursery workers left the occupation to work in other industries which offer year round employment. This was a major contributing factor to the shortage of these workers during peak seasons, particularly in rural regions. As a result, many employers hired foreign workers who came to Canada through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, which was put in place to help with shortages of unskilled labour during harvesting seasons. As a result, foreign workers accounted for a large share of nursery and greenhouse workers in B.C.

Work demand will continue to be highest in the Fraser Valley in particular, where most greenhouse and nursery operations in the province are located.

Job opportunities will be highest for experienced workers and for those who have completed horticulture related courses and training programs. Increased use of Integrated Pest Management practices will raise the demand for workers with Pest Applicator Certification.

Employment opportunities are abundant in harvesting seasons, however, full-time work throughout the year is difficult to secure without further education or extensive experience.

Resources