Florist
A florist is a professional who specializes in creating and arranging floral designs, using live, dried, or artificial flowers. They typically work within retail environments, such as independent flower shops or grocery store floral departments, and may also be self-employed. Florists engage in various tasks, including designing bouquets for private clients and large events like weddings, funerals, and holidays. The role requires creativity, a passion for horticulture, and organizational skills, as florists must manage inventory and customer transactions.
Florists often work in clean, well-ventilated spaces that can vary in temperature, as they handle flowers that require specific conditions. The job can involve physical labor, such as lifting heavy arrangements and using tools like scissors and knives. Interaction with customers and other florists is a significant part of the role, including taking orders and delivering arrangements. While formal education is not always necessary, knowledge in horticulture and business management can be advantageous for those considering a career in floral design. Overall, florists play an essential role in many significant life events, bringing beauty and creativity to various occasions.
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Subject Terms
Florist
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Marketing, Sales & Service
Interests: Horticulture, flowers, plants, creative tasks
Earnings (Yearly Median): $34,690 per year $16.68 per hour
Employment & Outlook: -18% (Decline)
Entry-Level Education High school diploma or equivalent
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training Moderate-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. A florist cuts, prepares, and arranges live, dried, and artificial floral arrangements, usually within a retail setting. A florist designs bouquets and other foliar arrangements for private clients and for large events, including weddings, funerals, parties, holidays, religious gatherings, high school functions, and other occasions. Most florists operate out of a small or independent flower shop, while others may work for the floral departments of grocery stores. Sometimes, a florist is self-employed and works from their home or other small, non-retail setting.
Work Environment. Florists usually work in a small, clean, and quiet shop. They may be subject to varying temperatures, as certain flowers need to be refrigerated, heated, or kept in cool environments. Florists may sometimes be required to work outdoors, harvesting and collecting fresh flowers or other plants. They often lift and carry heavy floral arrangements and use sharp tools like scissors, knives, and pruning instruments. They frequently interact with other florists or flower shop employees, as well as customers placing and picking up orders. Self-employed florists must often deliver floral arrangements to various local addresses. Florists generally work eight-hour shifts during the standard workweek and on Saturdays.
Occupation Interest. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in floral design must be highly creative and organized, possess a passion for horticulture, and love nature and the natural world. Florists must be able to make small calculations related to the size and structure of floral arrangements. They must also keep track of inventory purchases and customer transactions.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Florists normally spend the majority of the workday in a flower shop or retail setting, cutting and clipping flowers and designing various floral arrangements for private clients and large events. The frequency of customer orders may vary by season, and before or during popular holidays, a florist may be required to work overtime or longer hours to accommodate customer demands.
A florist spends much of the typical workday arranging floral bouquets, corsages, centerpieces, and larger designs. They also receive customer orders via phone, Internet, or in person. Because important events like funerals can happen unexpectedly, florists should always be prepared to put together an arrangement at the last minute. On some occasions, a florist may travel to an event location, such as a church, hotel, office, or outdoor landscape, to prepare large-scale arrangements.
Florists must also be able to adjust to different temperatures as they continually move in and out of refrigerated and humid areas where flowers and plants are stored. In certain cases, they also move from indoors to outdoors.
In addition to trimming materials, packing and wrapping completed arrangements, and advising and discussing designs with customers, a florist must also take on certain managerial and administrative duties as necessary. These may include financial record-keeping, general sales, store decoration and management, customer service, and cash register operation.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Most flowers are kept in a cool, humid, and well-ventilated environment after they are collected. A florist’s work area is also generally kept cool and humid. It is quiet and relaxed. A florist may stand for long periods while working with flowers; they may also sit at a work booth or bench.
Human Environment. Florists who work in flower shops usually interact with shop employees, owners or managers, floral designers, delivery people, and customers. Florists who are self-employed or who work out of their home typically work alone.
Technological Environment. Florists use a number of different tools and formulas in their daily work with plants and flowers. They commonly use pruners, wires and wire cutters, shears, scissors, floral tape, water-soluble foams, knives, spray paints, and other related materials. Florists must also be familiar with office equipment and cash registers. Florists should be familiar with the Internet and website operation, especially if they are self-employed. Having knowledge of software used to run a business may also be helpful to track inventory and invoices, and make online sales. Some software streamlines orders from other florists, for example, a customer in one state might contact their local florist to order flowers for a funeral in another part of the country; the initial florist transfers the order to a florist near the location of the funeral. Other technology used by many delivery services also benefits florists, for example, real-time delivery notifications for customers.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students who wish to become florists should study horticulture, agriscience, communications, mathematics, floriculture, and greenhouse operation and management. Students are also encouraged to participate in apprenticeships or summer internships that allow them to work with flowers and plants.
Postsecondary. Florists are rarely required to complete a postsecondary program; however, some florists earn formal associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in horticulture, floriculture, ornamental horticulture, or floral design at community colleges, universities, or vocational institutions. These programs also usually offer supplemental courses in the sciences, including chemistry, microbiology, soil management, and botany. It is common for florists to be self-employed and manage their own businesses after receiving their education, so taking additional courses in management, business, administration, and accounting can also be beneficial.
Related Occupations
− Designer
Bibliography
“Floral Designers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/floral-designers.htm. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
Langford, Makaylie, Kynda Curtis, and Melanie Stock. "An Overview of the Cut Flower Industry." Utah State University Extension, Dec. 2023, extension.usu.edu/apec/research/cut-flower-industry. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
“Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023: 27-1023 Floral Designers.” Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271023.htm. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.