Harvest your potential with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets! Join our team and become an integral part of a team 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.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about horticulture, agriculture, and the environment! The Department is seeking a Horticultural Inspector 1 or Trainee to work in Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego County. As a Horticultural Inspector 1 or Trainee, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and viability of plants and plant products. You will be responsible for inspecting plants, nurseries, and greenhouses for injurious insects and diseases and recommend how to control and eradicate them. You will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with State and federal regulations on the sale and transport of plants and plant products. In addition to your inspection duties, you will have the opportunity to engage with the public and tradespeople to raise awareness of Division activities and regulations. You will attend industry meetings and serve on industry committees when requested. This position will also provide support to division staff on the management of survey data collection using GIS applications; provide analytical reports of survey data to help analyze the risk of pest spread and improve pest detection activities; provide technical support of the division’s communication applications and systems; and assist management on managing of mobile data collection devices to improve field operations.

The Horticultural Inspector 1 or Trainee is a full-time position working 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday.

This position can be based out of your home and requires travel within an assigned region. This is a great opportunity for a self-driven candidate who wants autonomy over their schedule, the ability to work from home, and enjoys working outside the office setting!

The starting salary for the Horticultural Inspector Trainee 1 is $53,764/ year, and the hiring salary for the PEF salary grade (SG) 14. This position requires the completion of a two-year traineeship. After successful completion of the first year of the traineeship, the appointee will advance without further examination to the Trainee 2 level SG-16 (starting salary of $59,994/year). Completion of the second year of the traineeship will result in permanent advancement to the Horticultural Inspector 1, SG-18 (starting salary of $66,951/year) without further examination. Candidates may be eligible for appointment directly to the Trainee 2 or full performance level. For more information, see Advanced Placement below.

The candidate appointed at the Horticultural Inspector 1, SG-18 level, will be eligible to participate in the New York State Performance Evaluation Program. Through this program, employees receive yearly performance evaluations. Performance advances are payable to PEF employees whose base annual salary is below the job rate for their current position and who were rated "Satisfactory" or its equivalent on their yearly performance evaluation. Performance advance payments are added to an employee's annual salary. Over time, yearly performance advances may lead to the SG-18 job rate salary of $85,138/ year!

This is a PEF-represented position that offers excellent benefits! Benefits include but are not limited to inexpensive Health Insurance options, free Dental and Vision coverage, NYS Pension Plan membership, paid parental leave, and 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!

As a New York State employee, you could potentially qualify to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)! The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your direct loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under an accepted repayment plan and while working full-time for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets or another eligible employer.

NY HELPS Qualifications: Bachelor's degree including or supplemented by 24 semester credit hours in courses related to: horticulture, forestry, plant pathology, botany, ecology, entomology, environmental studies/plant science, or a biological science primarily related to the scientific study of plants and plant pests. Such biological sciences include, agriculture, agronomy, dendrology, field crops, floriculture, fruit science, greenhouse production, landscape management/production, nursery production/management, olericulture, plant biology, plant breeding, plant pathology, pomology, sod production, turfgrass management, vegetable crops and viticulture. The following courses are NOT QUALIFYING for the specialized 24 credit hours: biological sciences focusing on human health, medical entomology, human genetics or human physiology, lab technology, wildlife, science, or chemistry.

*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: If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional one year of experience in horticulture production, plant pest management, landscape installation and maintenance, cooperative extension education to commercial greenhouse/nursery industry, fruit or vegetable farm products inspection, or horticultural inspection you may be appointed to the Horticultural Inspector Trainee 2. This will reduce the traineeship time by one year.

To Horticultural Inspector 1, SG-18: If you meet the minimum qualifications and have an additional two years of experience in the areas listed above, you may be appointed to the full performance title, Horticultural Inspector 1, Grade 18.

You must inform the hiring agency of this additional experience at the time of interview.

Examples of Qualifying Experience Include: Employment as a horticulturist in a commercial nursery or greenhouse, as a plant pest or disease control specialist, as a landscaper involved in residential and/or commercial site development, as a cooperative extension agent engaged in educating the commercial greenhouse/nursery industry, as an Assistant Horticultural Inspector and as a grading inspector of fruit and vegetable farm products or other regulatory position where similar duties were performed.

Examples of Unacceptable Experience Include: Employment as a landscape designer, food service or inspection, urban pest extermination (i.e., rodents, roaches, ants, bats, carpenter ants) or dairy related is NOT qualifying.

Travel Requirements: Appointment to certain positions requires extensive travel within a designated area of assignment. Appointees to these positions may be required to operate a motor vehicle or otherwise demonstrate their capacity to meet the transportation needs of the job. If the position requires that you operate a motor vehicle, you must possess a driver's license valid in New York State at the time of appointment and continuously thereafter. Field work and travel expenses are reimbursed on a fixed schedule.

Candidates that are eligible and interested in being considered for appointment to one of these opportunities must use this link to apply: Position Vacancy Online Application by: March 16, 2026. Within this online application please upload your resume, transcript, and cover letter.

If you have any questions, please contact Cheryl Carman in Human Resources at (518) 457-3216 or recruitment@agriculture.ny.gov.

The Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity, and reasonable accommodations and/or modifications as necessary, for qualified persons with disabilities. If you are in need of a reasonable accommodation, please visit: https://agriculture.ny.gov/employment-information.

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply. Within one year of permanent appointment, it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Reassignment Qualifications: You must be a current Department of Agriculture and Markets employee and have one year of permanent, contingent-permanent, or 55 b/c service as a Horticultural Inspector Trainee 1, NS, Horticultural Inspector Trainee 2, NS and Horticultural Inspector 1, G-18; if you have less than one year, you must be reachable on the current eligible list for this location if one exists.

70.4 Transfer Qualifications to Horticultural Inspector Trainee 1, NS: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they have: one year of permanent, competitive service in a Grade 11 title or higher.

Either: 1: A bachelor’s degree supplemented by 24 semester credit hours in courses related to: horticulture, forestry, plant pathology, ecology, botany, entomology, environmental studies/plant science, or a biological science primarily related to the scientific study of plants and plant pests. Such biological sciences include, agriculture, agronomy, dendrology, field crops, floriculture, fruit science, greenhouse production, landscape management/production, nursery production/management, olericulture, plant biology, plant breeding, plant pathology, pomology, sod production, turfgrass management, vegetable crops and viticulture.

Received a passing score on the most recent Horticultural Inspector Trainee 1 examination.

*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.

Reinstatement Under Rule 5.4: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they were previous permanent New York State employees who resigned their positions may be reinstated to their former positions, or to positions to which they were eligible for transfer or reassignment without further examination. Employees separated from their positions may be reinstated within one year of the date of their separation. Employees separated from their positions who have also been separated from state service for more than one year may be reinstated upon approval by the state Civil Service Commission.

55-b/c Qualifications: Applicants may be appointed to this position permanently if they meet these qualifications: Either: 1: A bachelor’s degree supplemented by 24 semester credit hours in courses related to: horticulture, forestry, plant pathology, botany, entomology, environmental studies/plant science, or a biological science primarily related to the scientific study of plants and plant pests. Such biological sciences include, agriculture, agronomy, dendrology, field crops, floriculture, fruit science, greenhouse production, landscape management/production, nursery production/management, olericulture, plant biology, plant breeding, plant pathology, pomology, sod production, turfgrass management, vegetable crops and viticulture.

*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.

Information about the Workers with Disabilities 55-b and the Veterans with Disabilities employment program 55-c can be found at https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/.