GARDENER (State)
Gardener is non-competitive, meaning the state checks your education and experience against the spec instead of ranking you on a test.
To be eligible you bring 1 year of relevant experience and a professional license. The FY 2027 range lands between $40,322 and $57,949, and state payroll lists a single employee in the title, at Environmental Protection.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. One agency employs it. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Who employs this title
Gardener appears on the State payroll at one department, Department of Environmental Protection.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Department of Environmental Protection | 1 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 1 person working under this title. The median actual salary is $55,989. The agencies employing the most are:
- Environmental Protection (1)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction, performs gardening work involved in planting and keeping of flowers and trees and in keeping grounds in a healthy, attractive condition; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Organizes assigned gardening work, analyzes gardening problems, and develops effective work methods.
- Prepares soil for planting.
- Sows seeds.
- Marks out borders, beds, and areas for planting.
- Transplants plants and seedlings.
- Prepares cold frames.
- Raises plants in greenhouses.
- Maintains correct temperatures in greenhouses.
- Weeds flower beds, vegetable areas, and borders.
- Sprays flower and vegetable plants and fruit trees.
- Prunes and clips shrubbery, bushes, and hedges.
- Harvests and stores garden crops.
- Seeds, waters, sods, mows, weeds, fertilizes, rakes, and trims lawns.
- Cuts flowers for indoor use.
- Harvests seeds.
- Makes cuttings and slips.
- May assign and instruct helpers, assistant gardeners, and/or inmates, patients, and/or students assigned to gardening work, and supervises the performance of their work.
- Mixes sprays and other solutions.
- Sees that proper care is taken of cutting tools, lawn mowers, knives, shovels, rakes, and other equipment, tools, and supplies.
- Makes proper use of fertilizers.
- Prepares reports.
- Maintains records and files.
- In the Department of Human Services, may be required to undergo fire training classes.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
One (1) year of experience in the planting and maintenance of lawns, flowers, and shrubs.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Appointees will be required to obtain a NJ Certified Pesticide Applicator's or Operator's Permit in the required categories.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of horticultural problems.
- Knowledge of equipment, materials, and supplies used in large scale gardening.
- Knowledge of preparation of soil for planting of flower, grass, and vegetable seed.
- Knowledge of the planning of large scale gardening work in such a manner to ensure proper yield will be available at the proper time.
- Knowledge of the care of grass and lawn plots.
- Knowledge of the correct pruning and clipping of shrubs, hedges, and bushes.
- Knowledge of the proper use of fertilizers and sprays.
- Knowledge of preparation and use of cold frames and greenhouses.
- Knowledge of methods of harvesting seeds and fruit and in making slips and cuttings.
- Ability to analyze, comprehend, and interpret gardening problems likely to be encountered in work on the grounds or institutional grounds.
- Ability to assign and supervise work of employees, inmates, and/or patients and when required the ability to take measures required to ernsure their welfare, work progress, and custody.
- Ability to do work involved in sowing seed and in planting, transplanting, growing, fertilizing, and harvesting flowers, shrubs, vegetables, berries, and fruit.
- Ability to maintain grass plots and areas in a neat, orderly condition.
- Ability to prepare reports.
- Ability to keep simple records.
- Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
- Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.