Work with plant life is growing–in more ways than one.
According to BLS projections, the occupations related
to plants and landscaping will gain thousands of jobs be-
tween 2002 and 2012. Over this decade, employment for
both landscape architects and landscape and greenhouse
workers is expected to increase by about 22 percent.
That’s faster than the average employment growth pro-
jected for all occupations.
BLS does not make projections specifically for
landscape contractors, nursery supervisors, or turf grass
managers. Instead, these types of jobs are counted among
those of first-line supervisors or managers of landscaping,
lawn service, and groundskeeping workers. Employment
in this occupational group also is expected to increase by
about 22 percent.
What is causing this employment growth spurt in
green-industry occupations? The higher demand for land-
scaping services comes primarily from homeowners who
are improving their yards as a way to increase or protect
the value of their houses. Increased construction activ-
ity for housing and institutional buildings also should
support the demand for people who plan landscapes and
work with plants.
Still, job growth is only a small part of what’s creat-
ing opportunities for people who work with vegetation.
Many other openings are expected to come from the need
to replace current workers who permanently leave their
occupations. Landscape workers, with several thousand
openings expected over the projections decade, are a
prime example of this. But every plant-related occupation
is expected to need workers to replace others who leave.
Digging deeper
For more information about occupations related to plants,
visit your local library or career center. Many books and
resources describe green-industry occupations and how to
train for them.
One of the resources available at many libraries and
career centers is the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
The Handbook, which is also available and searchable
online at www.bls.gov/oco, describes the job duties,
working conditions, earnings, employment, and train-
ing requirements of plant-related occupations studied by
BLS.
The occupations profiled in this article are among
many in the green industry. Others include the following,
most of which are described in more detail in the Hand-
book
:
Arborists, also known as tree doctors, care for
trees and diagnose and treat diseased trees. (In the spring
2001 OOQ, see “You’re a what? Arborist,” online at
www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2001/spring/yawhat.htm.)
Farmers manage the crops that grow in farm
fields and greenhouses. (For more information about
modern farming practices, see “Farming in the 21st
century: A modern business in a modern world,” else-
where in this issue of the OOQ and online at www.bls.
gov/opub/ooq/2005/spring/art02.pdf.)
Forest workers plant trees in forests and timber-
lands, remove dead trees, and spray pesticides.
Foresters manage and take inventory of forests,
supervise the planting of new trees, and monitor forest
health.
Horticulturists and botanists research plants,
plant diseases, genetics, cross-breeding, and other tech-
niques for growing vegetation.
Horticulture and botany technicians assist sci-
entists with experiments and in caring for, testing, and
breeding plants.
Plant curators breed and grow plants for botani-
cal gardens and zoos, participate in conservation plant-
breeding programs, plan exhibits, and teach the public.
Urban foresters manage the trees and public
gardens of a city by choosing, caring for, and monitoring
plants and by working with volunteers.
Universities and community colleges can provide
information about horticultural training programs. The
cooperative extension services at State land-grant uni-
versities also have information for people interested in
qualifying to become master gardeners. And information
about working with native plants can be obtained at the
Native Plant Societies of the United States and Canada,
online at www.newfs.org/nps.htm#US.

Bookmark Me