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HortWeek's salary sector revealed trends in salaries and recruitment, some of which contradict the popular clichés of low wages and limited opportunities.
This might be good news for more technical or established employees, but is it making harder for horticulture graduates to enter the industry?
Routine and manual roles at the lower end of the pay scale are diminishing across all sectors, shrinking entry-level roles with a tendency towards smaller, more specialised and highly skilled teams.
Other key findings:
Upskilling: Career progression and access to higher salaries increasingly rely on a worker's ability to upskill and adapt to new technologies or commercial needs.
Effect of rising costs: Rising wage and labour costs are forcing horticulture sector employers to demand greater productivity and operational efficiency from their staff.
Commercial growers: Tighter margins and increasing labour costs are driving rapid investment in automation and selective hiring, prioritizing technical capability and per-employee productivity. There is a growing demand for workers who combine traditional horticultural knowledge with digital expertise. Those who adapt to these technology-led roles will secure higher pay and better career prospects.
Garden centres/retail nurseries: Mergers and acquisitions are concentrating hiring power among larger groups and squeezing out smaller businesses. This is driving a need for staff capable of managing larger operations and improving efficiency. Workers with leadership, commercial, or technical skills will command higher salaries as the sector shifts.
Arboriculture: Higher-paid opportunities are growing, particularly in areas like biosecurity compliance, urban canopy planning, and climate resilience. This specialisation is increasing competition for experienced professionals and pushing salaries higher.
Landscaping: While the decline in entry-level roles raises concerns about how new talent will access the industry, landscaping offers a distinctly positive picture for current workers, boasting higher average pay and clear progression pathways into managerial and technical roles.