Greenhouse Manager: Salary and Career Facts
Greenhouse managers ensure that plants are watered and fertilized on a regular schedule, temperatures are controlled and business runs smoothly. Read on in order to learn more about becoming a greenhouse manager and the salary you could earn.
What Is a Greenhouse Manager?
A greenhouse manager cares for the plants in a nursery or greenhouse environment. They are responsible for growing new plants from seeds and tending the ones that are already there through watering, fertilizing, and protecting them from pests. They also need to regulate the internal condition within the greenhouse to ensure the plants have the best environment for growing. You will typically be in charge of administrative duties, as well, directing others workers, planning and budgeting for new plants, and selling to customers.
Check the table below for important information and details to become a greenhouse manager.
<table border="1"><tr><td><b>Education Required</b></td><td>High school diploma; 2-year degree or certificate may be preferred</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td> Greenhouse management</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Duties</b></td><td>Looking after greenhouse plants; managing greenhouse operations and workers</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2018-2028)</b></td><td>-1* (<i>for all farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers</i>)</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Average Salary (2019)</b></td><td>$46,583** (<i>for all greenhouse managers</i>)</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **Salary.com.</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatJobDutiesWillIHaveAsAGreenhouseManager">What Job Duties Will I Have as a Greenhouse Manager?</h3><p>As a greenhouse manager, you'll be responsible for growing and maintaining a variety of plants. You'll work on pest control, plant breeding, fertilizing, watering, and harvesting. You may also focus on greenhouse construction and equipment and use the various machines and tools used for temperature control and irrigation. Note that you must be comfortable working in a greenhouse, which is kept warm and humid year-round.
</p><p>In addition to working hands-on with plants, you may also oversee or play a role in the administrative and operational management of a greenhouse. This can include planning, budgeting, marketing, and sales. Since greenhouses work with highly perishable inventories, they require keen managers capable of anticipating and responding to their customers' needs.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatSalaryCanIEarn">What Salary Can I Earn?</h3><p>The average salary for greenhouse managers in the United States was $46,583, as reported by <i>Salary.com</i> in 2019. You can strengthen your earning potential and increase your networking opportunities by joining a professional organization for greenhouse managers and those in related industries. For example, the American Nursery and Landscape Association and the Association of Horticultural Professionals (<i>americanhort.org</i>) offers memberships to greenhouse managers, with dues based on the volume of live plants your business sells.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatTypeOfEducationWillINeed">What Type of Education Will I Need?</h3><p>You can find work as a greenhouse manager without formal education, though many employers prefer applicants with at least a 2-year associate's degree. Many schools, particularly junior colleges, offer certificate and associate's degree programs in <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Greenhouse_Management_Training_and_Degree_Program_FAQs.html">greenhouse management</a>.
</p><p>When you study greenhouse management, you learn about plant care, soil science, and other topics related to the effective cultivation of healthy plants.
</p><p>You'll also study insects and pesticides. Most programs will include coursework in business and management, covering marketing, budgeting, and personnel management. Courses mix lecture-based study with practical experience working in a greenhouse. Related undergraduate degrees that you can earn include horticulture, botany, and agricultural sciences.
</p><p>Though graduate education is rarely required of a greenhouse manager, it can help you gain a competitive advantage in business and strengthen your understanding of horticulture. Should you wish to pursue graduate education, there are several applicable degrees. These include master's degrees in horticulture, floriculture, agronomy, botany, and entomology. Alternatively, you can strengthen your business and management skills by pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree; MBA programs can be found with concentrations in agriculture, which can include coursework relevant to greenhouse management.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>Aquaculture managers have a similar administrative job to greenhouse managers. Aquaculture managers work in fish hatcheries, raising fish and shellfish for profit or conservation efforts and directing other workers in a supervisory position. While many employers will require a bachelor's education for this job, some may be more lenient.
</p><p>Agriculture inspectors inspect different agricultural, fishing, and logging operations to ensure they comply with all state and federal laws regarding their occupations. It is their job to ensure animals in these industries are well cared for, and trees are harvested in a sustainable manner. They set the standard for the production of these goods and have the authority to approve or deny them based on those standards, as well as close down businesses that do not operate within regulation. Most of the people employed in this career have a high school diploma.
</p><p>General and operations managers oversee the daily operations of a company in the same way greenhouse managers supervise their workplace, fulfilling various duties too general to be grouped under a single department of management. They create policies for the workplace and manage its day to day operations, creating schedules, assigning jobs, and seeing that projects are completed in a timely manner. You will generally need at least a bachelor's degree to be hired for this job.</p>