Also called: Public Garden Director, Arboretum Director
Leads a botanical garden or arboretum, overseeing plant collections, research, education, and fundraising.
You meet donors about funding a new conservatory, review plans for a rare-orchid collection, and walk the grounds with your curators. You might testify to a city council or host a big flower show that draws 50,000 visitors.
Large gardens pay far more than small ones.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Master's in public garden leadership, horticulture, or botany, plus many years in garden management.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Horticulture, Botany, Public Garden Leadership, Nonprofit Management.
Growing slowly. Few positions.
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with grant letters and records; leading staff, courting donors and caring for collections stay human.
Classes: Biology, Speech, Business.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9121.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.