OSCA 342931

Nurseryperson

Overview

  • Employed persons

    2,600

  • Employment status

    61.4% Full time

    38.5% Part time

  • Median age

    49 years

  • Employment by sex

    44.0% Female

    56.0% Male

    Gender balanced

  • Indigenous employment share

    1.1%

  • Main employing industry

    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Indicator Nurseryperson Total employment
Employed persons 2,600 12,049,400
Median age 49 years 40 years
Full-time share 61.4% 64.2%
Part-time share 38.5% 35.8%
Female employment share 44.0% 48.5%
Male employment share 56.0% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Gender balanced Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 1.1% 2.2%
Main employing industry Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Nurserypersons propagate and cultivate trees, shrub and ornamental and flowering plants in a plant or forestry nursery.

What the occupation involves

  • Prepares soil, fertiliser mixes and containers for planting
  • Selects and plants seeds, bulbs and cuttings in beds, containers or trays
  • Buds and grafts vegetative material onto rootstock
  • Monitors, waters and fertilises plants to ensure their water and nutritional requirements are met
  • Applies pesticides and appropriate treatments to control pests, diseases, weeds, and nutritional and environmental plant disorders
  • Keeps records of soil mixtures, plantings, treatments, losses and yields
  • Advises customers on plant selection and care

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

  • Forest Nursery Production Operator
  • Plant Propagator

Note: Specialisations are examples of roles in within this occupation and are not separate OSCA occupations.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 3
equivalent to a mid-level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least 2 years’ on-the-job training).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Technicians and Trades Workers (3)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Nurseryperson Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 58.6% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Wholesale Trade 16.0% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Retail Trade 15.7% Construction 8.9%
    Public Administration and Safety 2.1% Education and Training 8.8%
    Construction 1.4% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 1.2% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Arts and Recreation Services 0.7% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 0.7% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Education and Training 0.6% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 0.3% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      30.2%

    • Victoria

      32.7%

    • Queensland

      18.1%

    • South Australia

      6.1%

    • Tasmania

      2.9%

    • Northern Territory

      0.9%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      0.9%

    Nurseryperson Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 800 30.2% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 860 32.7% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 480 18.1% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 160 6.1% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 230 8.5% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 80 2.9% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 20 0.9% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 20 0.9% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Nurseryperson

    Total employment

    Age group Nurseryperson Total employment
    15–24 years 8.3% 14.3%
    25–34 years 16.1% 22.7%
    35–44 years 17.2% 22.3%
    45–54 years 20.8% 20.4%
    55–64 years 23.8% 15.3%
    65–74 years 11.4% 4.3%
    75 years and over 2.4% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Nurseryperson Total employment
    Female 44.0% 48.5%
    Male 56.0% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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