Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 01.06. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 507 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 251 | 2,530 | $31,375 | $37,705 | $9,784 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 205 | 1,305 | $37,113 | $45,283 | $12,000 9 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 38 | 322 | $48,512 | $58,494 | $21,500 7 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 6 | 4 | $62,763 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 2 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 4 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 22 graduates measured | $52,992 | $61,187 | Data unavailable |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College IL · Public · 18 graduates measured | $28,394 | Data unavailable | $9,784 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $57,972 | $60,464 | $21,625 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $57,972 | $60,464 | $21,625 |
| Horry-Georgetown Technical College SC · Public · 19 graduates measured | $55,796 | $59,774 | Data unavailable |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 16 graduates measured | $50,620 | $45,637 | $12,000 |
| Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute OH · Public · 34 graduates measured | $43,371 | $48,534 | $11,000 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 34 graduates measured | $43,371 | $48,534 | $11,000 |
| Southeast Technical College SD · Public · 24 graduates measured | $41,672 | $45,576 | $12,000 |
| Kirkwood Community College IA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $39,125 | $44,354 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $32,622 | $48,964 | Data unavailable |
| Spokane Community College WA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $31,353 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins CO · Public · 17 graduates measured | $57,269 | $66,984 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 54 graduates measured | $57,028 | $69,540 | $25,000 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 54 graduates measured | $57,028 | $69,540 | $25,000 |
| Texas Tech University TX · Public · 26 graduates measured | $57,014 | $54,498 | Data unavailable |
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln NE · Public · 18 graduates measured | $52,966 | $59,376 | Data unavailable |
| Brigham Young University UT · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $49,925 | $71,066 | Data unavailable |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College GA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $46,897 | $52,757 | $23,125 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 53 graduates measured | $39,805 | $54,128 | $20,205 |
| Brigham Young University-Idaho ID · Private, nonprofit · 48 graduates measured | $30,584 | $39,752 | $12,078 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | $89,900 | -3.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary | $98,700 | +2.9% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Farm and home management educators | $60,220 | -3.2% | Master's degree |
| First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers | $58,430 | +4.0% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | $39,150 | +4.7% | No formal educational credential |
| Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation | $46,340 | +3.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of retail sales workers | $48,520 | -3.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers | $59,320 | +3.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Forest and conservation workers | $43,680 | -1.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (10)
- 01.0601 Applied Horticulture/Horticulture Operations, General
- 01.0603 Ornamental Horticulture
- 01.0604 Greenhouse Operations and Management
- 01.0605 Landscaping and Groundskeeping
- 01.0606 Plant Nursery Operations and Management
- 01.0607 Turf and Turfgrass Management
- 01.0608 Floriculture/Floristry Operations and Management
- 01.0609 Public Horticulture
- 01.0610 Urban and Community Horticulture
- 01.0699 Applied Horticulture/Horticultural Business Services, Other