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Plant Breeding Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Ball Horticultural Company

Plant Breeder

Guadalupe, CA · On-site

$110K - $145K/yr

Reporting to the North American Breeding Director, this role is well suited for a breeder who ... The Plant Breeder will lead breeding strategy for assigned crops, make advancement decisions, and ...

BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY

Plant Breeder

Guadalupe, CA · On-site

$110/hr

Reporting to the North American Breeding Director, this role is well suited for a breeder who ... The Plant Breeder will lead breeding strategy for assigned crops, make advancement decisions, and ...

Enza Zaden

Iceberg Lettuce Breeder

San Juan Bautista, CA · On-site

$105K - $125K/yr

Execute breeding activities, including making critical plant and line selections at key stages of the breeding cycle * Maintain accurate, detailed records throughout all breeding cycles and trials

Enza Zaden

Breeder

Myakka City, FL

$77K - $92K/yr

Carry out breeding program activities, including making critical plant and line selections at key stages of the breeding cycle to ensure genetic advancement and program success. * Maintain detailed ...

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How much do plant breeding jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for plant breeding in the United States is $22.37, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.35 and $25.24 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Is Plant Breeding?

Plant breeding incorporates traditional methods and modern scientific methods to modify and manipulate plant species to improve crops, food, fuel, plant-based products. The modification is done through processes like genetic engineering or controlled pollination to combine traits and produce the desired phenotypes and genotypes. The process ensures food security and increases the resistance and outcome for plants. It helps plants fight pests, advance crop growth, and sturdiness, and offer a better taste in some situations. The crossing can occur with closely related plants or distantly associated species depending on the traits wanted. Plant breeding has been going on for thousands of years and is practiced worldwide.

What are some typical challenges faced by plant breeders when developing new crop varieties?

Plant breeders often encounter challenges such as balancing multiple desirable traits like yield, disease resistance, and climate adaptability within a single crop variety. They must also manage long breeding cycles, as it can take several years to see the results of their work. Collaboration with agronomists, geneticists, and farmers is essential to ensure new varieties meet market and environmental needs. Additionally, staying updated on advances in biotechnology and regulatory changes is crucial for success in this evolving field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Plant Breeder, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Plant Breeder, you need a strong background in genetics, biology, and agronomy, often supported by a degree in plant science or a related field. Familiarity with laboratory equipment, molecular marker technologies, and statistical analysis software such as SAS or R is typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and effective collaboration are crucial soft skills in this role. These skills ensure the development of improved crop varieties, successful experimentation, and productive teamwork to meet agricultural challenges.

What is the difference between Plant Breeding vs Plant Genetics?

AspectPlant BreedingPlant Genetics
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Plant Science, Agriculture, or related fields; often includes breeding certificationsBachelor's or Master's in Genetics, Biology, or related fields; may include genetics certifications
Work EnvironmentResearch farms, laboratories, seed companies, agricultural organizationsLaboratories, research institutions, universities, biotech companies
Industry UsageDeveloping new plant varieties, improving crop traitsUnderstanding genetic mechanisms, gene mapping, and inheritance patterns

Plant Breeding and Plant Genetics are closely related fields. Plant Breeding focuses on developing new plant varieties through crossing and selection, while Plant Genetics emphasizes understanding the genetic basis of traits. Both roles often require similar educational backgrounds and work environments, but their primary goals differ: one creates improved crops, the other explores genetic mechanisms.

What is plant breeding?

Plant breeding is the science-driven process of changing the traits of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. This is achieved by selecting plants with beneficial traits and breeding them to create improved varieties, such as those with higher yield, disease resistance, or better nutritional value. Plant breeding can involve traditional cross-breeding methods as well as modern techniques like genetic engineering and marker-assisted selection. The goal is to develop plants that are more productive, resilient, and suited to specific environments or market needs.
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Plant Breeding jobs near you
Assistant Breeder

Assistant Breeder

BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY

Guadalupe, CA

$22.50 - $36/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 26 days ago

Job description

Description

Key Responsibilities:

To assist, support, implement and evaluate plant breeding project components as needed for PanAmerican Seed Co. Plant Breeders in the execution of their high priority projects. This may include training and supervision of technicians. In addition, the Assistant Plant Breeder will be trained in commercial flower breeding and may have limited, small plant breeding projects of their own.


Essential Functions - What needs to Be Accomplished?

  1. An Assistant Plant Breeder may assist other plant breeders with organization of trials, bioassays, note taking & documentation as well as execution of various aspects of the breeding cycle as needed. 
  2. As part of training and to gain proficiency, an Assistant Plant Breeder may also have some small, limited plant breeding projects of their own, assigned by a Regional Breeding Director, as part of the overall PanAm R&D strategic goals.
  3. Provide supervision and training to current breeder technicians, as appropriate.
  4. Assist in execution of breeder trials on behalf of off-site locations, trials managers and /or Plant Breeders.
  5. Ability to interact with a wide range of skills levels and personalities.
  6. In conjunction with the breeding supervisor, work with product manager, production, Helix and culture research to ensure highest product quality.


Other Responsibilities:

1.  Other duties and responsibilities determined by the Supervisor.

Requirements

  1. BS in Horticulture with an emphasis on Plant Sciences/Plant Breeding or similar relevant experience.
  2. Proven ability to work effectively as part of a team in a matrix organization. 
  3. Demonstrates drive, motivation and organizational skills.
  4. Ability to interact with a wide range of skill levels and personalities.
  5. Effective communicator with both written and verbal communication proficiency.  
  6. Proficiency using MS Office and breeding database related software.
  7. Infrequent travel (as directed by Supervisor). <10%

Physical Requirements

  1. Ability to work in greenhouse environment with long periods of standing
  2. Sometimes required to do heavy lifting, moving, etc.

Scope of Responsibility

Staff: May have supervisory responsibility, as directed by Supervisor

Budgets: May have budgetary responsibility at payroll level, as appropriate


Our Promise to you

We create excitement in the world of flowers and are the first choice for service. We deliver all the best and nothing else! To you, we deliver a work environment and a culture where building long-lasting relationships internally and externally is important. We believe that good communication, sharing ideas and collaborating on projects will set us up for success. We keep both our feet on the ground and are approachable. 

In addition to this we provide a comprehensive Total Rewards package that includes: 

  • Medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance
  • 401k/Profit Sharing Retirement Plan
  • Paid time off benefits including vacation and holidays
  • Tuition assistance
  • Employee Assistance Program and Positive Health programs

Apply