Horticultural Inspector or Trainee; NY HELPS

Posting Dates

March 6, 2026 - March 16, 2026

Harvest your potential with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets! Join our team and become an integral part of a group dedicated to fostering a competitive food and agriculture industry that benefits both producers and consumers alike. Here, you can cultivate your career in a dynamic environment that values innovation, sustainability, and community engagement. With a wide range of opportunities spanning from environmental science to economic development, you can find your niche in public service and grow both professionally and personally.

Embrace the chance to join our team, and you’ll not only reap a fulfilling career but also sow the seeds for a healthier, stronger New York.

Plant Industry

Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego Counties, NY

The Department is seeking a Horticultural Inspector 1 or Trainee to work in these counties. In this role you will: inspect plants, nurseries, and greenhouses for injurious insects and diseases; recommend control and eradication methods; ensure compliance with state and federal regulations on the sale and transport of plants and plant products; engage with the public and tradespeople to raise awareness of division activities;

attend industry meetings and serve on committees; support staff on survey data collection using GIS applications; provide analytical reports of survey data; offer technical support for the division’s communication applications and systems; and assist in managing mobile data collection devices.

The Horticultural Inspector 1 or Trainee is a full‑time position working 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday. It can be based at home with required travel within an assigned region. It is an opportunity for a self‑driven candidate who values autonomy over their schedule and enjoys working outside the office setting.

Starting salary for the Horticultural Inspector Trainee 1 is $53,764 per year (SG‑14). Completion of the first year of the traineeship advances the appointee to Trainee 2 (SG‑16; $59,994 per year) without further examination. Completion of the second year results in permanent advancement to Horticultural Inspector 1 (SG‑18; $66,951 per year). The Trainee 1 appointee is eligible to participate in the New York State Performance Evaluation Program, which may lead to a SG‑18 salary of $85,138 per year.

This is a PEF‑represented position offering excellent benefits: inexpensive health insurance options, free dental and vision coverage, NYS Pension Plan membership, paid parental leave, generous paid time off. Within the first year, you are eligible for 5 days of personal time, 13 vacation days, 13 sick days, and 13 paid holidays. A New York State employee may qualify for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

NY HELPS

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree or 24 semester credit hours in horticulture, forestry, plant pathology, botany, ecology, entomology, environmental studies/plant science, or a biological science related to plants and plant pests. Satisfactory experience in horticulture may substitute for up to 60 college credits, at the rate of one year of experience equaling 30 semester credit hours.

• Satisfactory experience in horticulture may substitute for up to 60 college credits, at the rate of one year of experience equaling 30 semester credit hours.

To Horticultural Inspector Trainee 2, NS:
Additional one year of experience in horticulture production, plant pest or disease control, landscape installation and maintenance, cooperative extension education, or a related inspection role may allow appointment to Trainee 2, reducing traineeship time by one year.

To Horticultural Inspector 1, SG‑18:
Additional two years of experience in the same areas may allow appointment to the full‑performance title.

• Employment as a horticulturist in a commercial nursery or greenhouse.
• Plant pest or disease control specialist.
• Landscaper involved in residential and/or commercial site development.
• Cooperative extension agent engaged with the commercial…