Horticulture Assistant Salary in the United States

How much does a Horticulture Assistant make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Horticulture Assistant in the United States is $39,028 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $19.

However, a Horticulture Assistant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $46,429
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $35,702 to $42,902
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $32,673

Key Factors That Influence Horticulture Assistant Salaries

A Horticulture Assistant's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Horticulture Assistant Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Horticulture Assistant's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $38,743
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $43,757
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $62,760
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $80,610
  • Expert (over 8 years): $89,187
Levels Salary
Horticult... Level Horticulture Assistant$38,743
Groundske... Level Horticulture Assistant$43,757
Building ... Level Horticulture Assistant$62,760
Building ... Level Horticulture Assistant$80,610
Building ... Level Horticulture Assistant$89,187

How Do Horticulture Assistant Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Horticulture Assistants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $43,212.
  • California: $43,048.
  • Massachusetts: $42,474.

Top Paying Cities for Horticulture Assistants

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $49,226
  • San Francisco: $48,687
  • Oakland: $47,661

What Skills Can Increase a Horticulture Assistant's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 15.21% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Painting (Mentioned in 2.44% Job Postings): Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and airbrushes, can be used. The final work is also called a painting. Painting is an important form in the visual arts, bringing in elements such as drawing, gesture (as in gestural painting), composition, narration (as in narrative art), or abstraction (as in abstract art). Paintings can be naturalistic and representational (as in a still life or landscape painting), photographic, abstract, narrative, symbolistic (as in Symbolist art), emotive (as in Expressionism), or political in nature (as in Artivism). A portion of the history of painting in both Eastern and Western art is dominated by religious art. Examples of this kind of painting range from artwork depicting mythological figures on pottery, to Biblical scenes Sistine Chapel ceiling, to scenes from the life of Buddha or other images of Eastern religious origin.
  • First Aid (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 15.21%
Painting 2.44%
First Aid 1.56%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Horticulture Assistant's salary.

  • Energy Management: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
  • Resource Management: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Energy Management $47,614
22%
Resource Management $42,150
8%
Leadership $41,760
7%

Horticulture Assistant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Horticulture Assistant roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Biotechnology and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Horticulture Assistant positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Horticulture Assistant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Horticulture Assistant

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Biotechnology$50,737$24.030%

How Education impacts a Horticulture Assistant's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Horticulture Assistants enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Horticulture Assistant with a No Diploma is between $38,679 and $42,226).

Horticulture Assistant Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Horticulture Assistant
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.8%
High School 50.9%
Associates 12.3%
Bachelors 33.3%
Masters 1.8%
Doctorate 1.8%

Horticulture Assistant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Horticulture Assistant's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$35,702
Average $39,028/year
$42,902
$2,975
Average $3,252/month
$3,575
$687
Average $751/week
$825
$17
Average $19/hour
$21
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $42,902 $3,575 $825 $21
Average $39,028 $3,252 $751 $19
25th Percentile $35,702 $2,975 $687 $17

Most common benefits for Horticulture Assistant

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Horticulture Assistant

Here are companies hiring for Horticulture Assistant and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Horticulture Assistant Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Horticulture Assistant job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Get a Salary Increase

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Search Job Openings

For Employers

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Adjust Employee Salary

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Price My Industry Jobs

FAQ about Horticulture Assistant

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Horticulture Assistant?

The Biotechnology industry offers the highest average compensation for Horticulture Assistant roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst