Salary
Average Salary: $43,564
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,818,709
If we're just being honest here, the people who earn good income from the retail nursery industry are those who own the nurseries. And to make matters less appealing, few nurseries actually make good money for the owners. This is a very risky industry, with way too much competition from big box store garden centers selling cheap plant material of inferior quality.
The average manager of a retail nursery makes about $43,500 per year (source). It's not a bad salary, but you shouldn't expect it to rise too much from there. With few exceptions, those who take horticulture seriously and want to market the best quality material appeal to the smallest market. Ah, well. No one ever said you were going to make it big while rooting through soil all day.
Most people who work in retail nurseries or other horticultural industries do so because they enjoy the work. But hey, if you're going to spend most of your time doing it, it should be enjoyable. Nurserymen may not make much money at work, but they probably save considerable money by not paying for therapy because they work at a job that they hate.
You'll have to say goodbye to the perks of a bigger paycheck, like fancy vacations, but this job can be so relaxing that you might not feel the need to get away from it. To many, it's a fair trade-off. To those who aren't willing to make that concession, enjoy your week in Puerto Vallarta. We'll leave all 300 of your messages on your desk for when you get back.