Q: If I were to get an Associate Degree in Environmental Horticulture what job options would I have?

A: Mary Kay Woodworth, Executive Director of the Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association says there is a great variety of employment options available. There are excellent programs at Gwinnett Tech, North Metro Tech and other schools in the Atlanta area.

A lot depends on your area of concentration and work experience prior to and during your school time. Students with a little experience are getting jobs at the foreman or front-line supervisor level when they graduate. Others who work in the industry for several years while going to school are receiving offers in mid-level management. Positions accepted this year by students from local schools include Assistant Superintendent, Landscape Foreman, Landscape Maintenance Supervisor, Sales Representative, Greenhouse Assistant Manager, Garden Center Manager, Landscape Designer, Florist Assistant and Fulltime Florist. Starting salaries generally range from low 20’s to high 30’s, although Gwinnett Tech’s Richard Ludwig reports that they had one student who graduated, moved to Saudi Arabia and got a salary in the mid 90’s! For more information, visit www.workoutdoors.com or www.northmetrotech.edu