How to Know Which Floral Design Career Is Right for You
You want to join the floral industry! Great! Now, where do you start?!
If you’re interested in pursuing a floral design career—or are considering leaving your current job for a career in the floral industry—you’re in good company!
There are many floral design jobs available, and due to the imaginative nature of the floral industry, you’ll only be limited by your own creativity.
In this article, you’ll discover:
Why it’s important to know the reason you’re drawn floral design
Insightful questions to ask yourself to discover which florist career might be right for you
Where to find floral design jobs and flower shop jobs (including a job boards list!)
Dynamic resources to help get you started in the floral industry or grow your career
The idea of becoming a florist inspires many people, but each of us are drawn to florist careers for different reasons.
And understanding why you’re drawn to floristry can help you determine the type of floral career that’s the best fit for you.
Why Do You Want a Career in Floral Design?
Before you sign up for floral design classes or take an entry-level floral design role, you’ll need to look inward. Why do you want to pursue a job in the floral industry?
Floral design work can mean many different things—and a career with flowers can take on many different forms. It’s essential to recognize what you are drawn to most about a florist career.
Taking some time to reflect can help you create a career in floral design that’s based on the things you love while excluding the things that you’re not a fan of.
Maybe it’s the desire to connect with nature that drives you to be a part of the floral industry. Do you find that you feel most like yourself when surrounded by plants and growing things?
Or perhaps it's the artistry and beauty of floral design that you love. There's magic in different textures and colors and shapes of flowers and how you can pair them together in an effortless way to make something new and wonderful!
Or perhaps you’re an artist who loves working with a medium that is living and constantly changing.
When it comes to pursuing a career in the floral industry or growing your floral design career, take time to determine what exactly you love about floristry.
Think about your why and carefully consider what specifically draws you to floral design work.
Ready to learn how to become a florist? Discover what you need to know to become a leading floral designer in this live online course.
When deciding on a floral career path, it’s important to determine why you’re drawn to flowers.
Reflection questions to discover your best-fit florist career
Before we dive into the different roles and careers available in the floral industry, take a moment to ask yourself some of the following questions.
The answers you come up with will help you uncover what you love most about floristry and can help lead you to the right fit in floral design work.
Grab a pen and paper to jot down some thoughts, or silently consider these questions while you read! (A big thanks to Team Flower Member and floral designer Kaylee Young who developed this list!)
Do you love design of any kind? Or just designing with flowers?
Do you love the flowers themselves? If so, why?
Do you like to be a part of an event or production?
Do you enjoy working under pressure?
Do you enjoy working with friends or coworkers? Or would you prefer to work alone?
Do you like to decorate with other things besides flowers?
Do you enjoy being highly organized?
Do you like placing flower orders?
Do you like to grow flowers? Are you good at gardening?
Do you enjoy growing other plants besides cut flowers?
Do you enjoy accounting?
Do you enjoy running a business?
Do you enjoy having a clear role at work? Or would you prefer your job to be a mix of multiple tasks?
Do you prefer busy weekends and weekdays off? Or working weekdays with weekends off?
Do you prefer to create or curate?
Do you enjoy working with the same people each day, or do you prefer to meet and work with new people?
Do you enjoy marketing your own work and/or your own business?
Are you tech- and social-media savvy?
What are your strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
If you could do anything you want every single day, what would you wake up and do? Write out your dream day hour by hour.
Determining the answers to each of the above can help you mold a career in flowers specific to you and that includes what you enjoy most.
How much do floral designers make?
If you’re looking into a floral design career, what you hope to earn will also influence your job choices. Depending on the source you consult, floral designers can make anywhere from $20,000 up over $60,000 per year. But this income range doesn’t reflect all profit-earning possibilities. Some floral professionals earn more than $60,000 per year.
Your local market, role in the floral industry, and whether or not you own your own floral business will have an impact on your florist salary and income-earning potential.
Check out our guide to florist salaries for a deeper dive into florist income considerations.
There are so many ways to have a beautifully fulfilling career and life with flowers!
Floral Design Careers: Job Roles Throughout the Floral Industry
Now that you have a better sense of what you’re drawn to in floral work, let’s dive into the different jobs available in the floral industry.
The beauty of working in the floral industry—other than the flowers themselves, of course!—is that there are many different ways to have a fulfilling career and life with flowers.
Below we’ll discuss different roles a trained florist might hold, along with some basic salary or earning considerations to keep in mind for each role. (Read our florist salary guide for detailed information on earnings.)
Hoping to jump ahead to what you’re most interested in? Use the list below!
Meaningful Careers with Flowers—Types of Floral Design Careers:
Florist (Employee): Large Retail and Grocery Space
Large retail and grocery chains hire floral clerks and supervisors to order, maintain, and arrange flowers for customers to purchase within the store. In this position, a floral professional will often earn an hourly wage as a retail or grocery chain employee.
If you work as a floral designer or floral clerk in a large retail or grocery setting, and you’re loo king to expand and grow your creative skills, check out our Creating Inspired Designs class.
Work schedule: Set by employer. Possibly includes nights and weekends.
Income outlook: Hourly based on agreed upon wages with the employer.
Pros: No need to market oneself to floral consumers or find your own clients. Steady, recurring income and predictable customer rhythms. No need to do accounting, taxes, and payments for your own business income.
Cons: Working in large floral retail or a floral counter at a grocery space may limit creative decisions you’re able to make due to standardized policies. Earnings can be limited compared to running your own business or taking on your own clients.
Florist (Employee): Floral Retail, Small Business
Small floral businesses, such as a mobile flower truck or retail flower shop, will hire hourly help to cover busy times or expanded hours.
Working for a small floral business has many perks, including having a steady income that doesn’t depend on obtaining your own individual floral clients, but sometimes there can be limited upward growth or earning potential in a small family business.
Suppose your goal is to work in floral retail for a small family-owned business and learn as much as you can to start your own floral design business one day. In that case, it’s kindhearted (and wise) to be clear about those professional goals early in your working relationship with your employer.
Work schedule: Set by employer. Possibly includes nights and weekends.
Income outlook: Hourly based on agreed upon wages with the employer.
Pros: Steady, recurring income. Virtually no startup costs outside of initial training and building a floral portfolio to show potential employers. No need to market oneself to floral consumers or find your own clients. No need to do accounting, taxes, and payments for your own business income.
Cons: Earnings can be limited compared to running your own business or taking on your own clients.
Becoming a floral design freelancer is a great way to join in the industry while maintaining a lot of flexibility.
Floral Design Freelancer
A floral design freelancer is usually an intermediate to experienced floral professional who earns income from floral design work in a non-employee relationship with another florist, event designer, or wedding planner.
Floral design freelancers charge an hourly rate or agree to a flat-fee project rate or day rate to produce floral design work for those who contract their services. Invoicing for payment, reporting annual earnings, and paying taxes out of income earned through freelance work is the responsibility of the freelance floral designer.
Most often, you’ll see trained florists work as freelancers as a floral design side-hustle or to assist other event and wedding floral designers who need hired help on event day. Working as a freelance floral designer is a trade in its own right, and some floral professionals find they prefer the flexibility of this kind of work.
Work schedule: Flexible and up to the freelance floral designer and the jobs they agree to take.
Income outlook: Flexible, due to accepting jobs based on your desired income goals and work availability. However, what freelance floral designers can earn depends on creating income and solving problems for other business owners, and your rates should reflect those considerations.
Pros: Low startup costs. Ability to expand income and client base as needed. Ability to work from home. Exciting, engaging work connected to live events, working for various other designers, and taking on a variety of projects. No need to market oneself to floral consumers, but instead connect with other floral business owners.
Cons: Time-sensitive event-related work can produce a lot of pressure and stress. Earnings can be limited compared to running your own business as a studio florist and taking on your own clients, while also still paying for your own expenses and taxes from income earned.
Studio Florists
When discussing the role of “studio florists” in the floral industry, it’s important to note that this category includes wedding and event floral designers. Event, studio, or wedding floral designers serve clients that they book through a proposal process, and these floral professionals help their clients create and fulfill the floral vision for their events or public spaces (like restaurants or hotels).
Some studio florists may have a rented or purchased studio space apart from their home, while other studio florists have a space set aside in their home where they process and design flowers.
Studio florists often work as sole proprietors (so they’re the sole owners of their business without employee help) or under a limited liability company with employees. Studio florists may also offer retail arrangements, usually via pop-up shops, subscriptions, or to past event clients.
Studio floral designers pay themselves from the profits they earn after the cost of overhead for the work they completed. Overhead often includes things like the cost of flowers and hardgoods (such as vases, floral tape, floral mechanics, and more), business insurance, and hiring help.
Work schedule: Flexible and up to the business owner.
Income outlook: Flexible, due to creating your own work schedule and taking on clients that you choose. Income growth can be challenging at first when establishing your business, as you don’t have the benefit of a public store or space to capitalize on foot traffic.
Pros: Low startup costs. Ability to expand income and client base as needed. Ability to work from home. Exciting, engaging work connected to live events.
Cons: Time-sensitive work can produce a lot of pressure and stress. Limited space to work from home can increase initial startup costs if studio rental is needed. No storefront to benefit from foot traffic.
Flower Shop Business Owner
A flower shop business owner may produce, sell, and deliver retail floral arrangements as well as provide wedding and event services. In addition to floral design services, flower shop owners often curate a collection of beautiful hardgoods, such as vases and containers, and thoughtful gifts to round out retail offerings.
Flower shop owners either work as sole proprietors or in business partnerships without employees, or under limited liability companies with employees. In some cases, larger floral retail companies might work under a corporate business structure.
Flower shop business owners pay themselves from the profits they earn after the cost of overhead is taken care of. Overhead for a florist shop often includes retail space, employees, gift inventory, business insurance, and the cost of flowers and hardgoods (such as vases, floral tape, floral mechanics, and more).
Work schedule: Flexible, but often depending on local shopping patterns. May require evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Income outlook: Retail can be challenging, but profits can be significant depending on your market’s needs, controlling your business overhead, and availability of other floral retail in your area.
Pros: Ability to expand income earnings outside of floral design through other retail offerings, such as a cafe, homegoods store, gift shop, and more.
Cons: There are high startup costs and high overhead for retail shops, as well as specific permits and insurances needed. Cost of retail space can be high in some areas. Earnings can depend on foot traffic and holidays.
Learn more about opening a gift and flower shop on the Team Flower Podcast.
Flower Truck Business Owner
A flower truck business owner operates their business from a unique vehicle that has been modified to sell flowers. The “mobile store” is often a unique or restored vintage vehicle that catches the eye of those who pass by.
Flower truck owners either work as sole proprietors or in business partnerships without employees, or under limited liability companies with employees.
The primary revenue stream for a flower truck business is the retail sale of flowers at the truck, but there are many other possibilities for income as well. A flower truck could operate alone as the sole focus of a business, or it could be a great addition to an existing retail florist or event floral design business. You can also rent the vehicle out for photoshoots, flower bars, and event favors.
Work schedule: Flexible and up to the business owner.
Income outlook: Flexible, due to creating your own work schedule and the ability to serve more than one market via mobile retail.
Pros: Can be used as a marketing tool for an existing floral design business or expand into full-service design.
Cons: It can be difficult to obtain permits to operate a mobile business. There are also high startup costs and vehicle maintenance costs. Earnings can also depend on weather conditions.
Flower Cart Owner
A flower cart owner operates their floral business as a floral pop-up shop in unique spaces with high pedestrian traffic from a unique mobile kiosk. The cart can be anything from an adorable bicycle or vintage market cart to a stationary set of flower buckets in a market stall.
Flower cart owners either work as sole proprietors or in business partnerships without employees, or under limited liability companies with employees.
The primary revenue stream for a mobile flower cart business is the sale of cut flowers at the cart itself. Depending on the style of your cart, you might rent it out for photoshoots when it’s full of product or DIY flower bars and workshops. A flower cart could be your primary mode of business or supplement a floral shop or studio business.
Work schedule: Flexible and up to the business owner.
Income outlook: Flexible, due to creating your own work schedule and the ability to serve more than one market via mobile retail.
Pros: Like a flower truck, a flower cart can also be used as a marketing tool for an existing floral design business or expand into full-service design.
Cons: It can be difficult to obtain permits to operate a mobile cart, and you’ll need to determine the regulations for selling from a cart in your city. Earnings can also depend on weather conditions.
Not the biggest people person? No problem! You can create an online floral retail shop and sell from the comfort of your home or studio space!
Online Florist: Selling Flowers Online
An online floral retail shop could be an excellent way to produce, sell, and deliver or ship retail floral arrangements as well as provide wedding and event services without the need for retail space. In addition to floral design services, online flower shop owners can sell a collection of beautiful hardgoods, such as vases and containers, and thoughtful gifts to round out retail offerings.
Online flower shop owners either work as sole proprietors or in business partnerships without employees, or under limited liability companies with employees. In some cases, larger online floral retail companies might work under a corporate business structure.
Online floral retail shop owners pay themselves from the profits they earn after overhead costs are taken care of. Overhead for an online shop can include space to hold inventory, employees, gift inventory, business insurance, and the cost of flowers and hardgoods (such as vases, floral tape, floral mechanics, and more), online shopping applications, and shipping supplies, and shipping costs for fresh flowers.
Work schedule: Flexible and up to the business owner, but demand for working hours will be created by online orders that come in.
Income outlook: Flexible, due to setting your own inventory availability the ability to serve more than one market via online retail.
Pros: Ability to run your own store without the cost of a physical retail space. Opportunities to expand income and offerings through online retail and reach new markets through digital advertising. Lower startup costs than traditional retail.
Cons: Competitive and solid knowledge of digital marketing is a must. Shipping supplies and costs—along with shipping fresh floral products—can be a challenge.
Floral Wholesaler or Wholesaler Sales Rep
A floral wholesaler and/or a wholesaler sales representative works with florists to order, obtain, and ship flowers needed for floral design work. To learn more about floral wholesalers, check out our guide to working with a floral wholesaler.
This role requires an excellent understanding of flower varieties and substitutions, as well as national and international shipping and ordering requirements, constraints, and more.
Floral wholesalers often work under limited liability companies with employees or a corporate business structure.
Wholesalers pay themselves from the profits they earn after the cost of overhead and business expenses are cared for. Overhead for a wholesaler can include refrigerated space to hold large amounts of cut flower inventory, employees, business insurance, and the cost of flowers and buckets, reimbursement credits when flowers arrive with blemishes, and shipping costs for fresh flowers.
Work schedule: Very early mornings to receive deliveries and organize flowers. Saturdays are often shortened workdays. Reps often have an “on-call” type of job, including the unspoken expectation to be responsive to emails and texts at odd hours. Working weekends or extra-long hours before big flower holidays is common.
Income outlook: Business profits dependent on global and environmental factors and local demand. Experienced wholesale reps can make a reliable, healthy salary.
Pros: The ability to be around tons of beautiful flowers and supply your community with fresh floral products. Ability to close early (working nights is uncommon). Opportunity to build relationships with designers in your community and become a pillar of knowledge sought-after by designers.
Cons: Very early mornings and often on-call for floral customers. Working with lots of perishable products and factors out of local control, like international supply and shipping concerns. High startup costs.
Farmer-Florist
A farmer-florist works to grow, harvest, sell, and design fresh cut flowers in their local community. This role requires an excellent understanding of horticulture and local growing requirements, as well as what flowers are needed and highly sought-after for floral design work.
Farmer-florists often work under sole proprietorships or business partnerships with no employees or limited liability companies with employees.
Farmer-florists pay themselves from the profits they earn after the cost of overhead and business expenses. They also may earn additional income from floral design work. Overhead for a farmer-florist can include refrigerated space to hold large amounts of cut flower inventory, employees, business insurance, growing and harvesting supplies, market stall fees if selling at a public market, and transportation and delivery costs.
Work schedule: Flexible but season- and weather-driven. Often requires daily work and maintenance during the growing season, including weekends and holidays.
Income outlook: Earnings are based on growing space and harvesting yield, along with additional design work.
Pros: Rewarding work close to nature. Lots of time outdoors. Ability to expand income through on-farm events, workshops, and u-pick operations. Can start slowly with low startup costs or go all-in with high initial investment.
Cons: Income can be dependent on factors outside of your control, like weather conditions, disease and insects, and bloom yield. Limited work-life flexibility during growing season.
Where to find floral design jobs and flower shop jobs: A list of the best job boards
When you’re looking for a new florist job, it can be hard to know where to start. The floral industry is a tight-knit and unique group, but a group that often welcomes new folks in with open arms!
While generic job sites like Glassdoor and CareerBuilder can give you a good place to begin, it’s often best to search for a floral design job on industry-specific websites.
And if you’re currently working in the floral industry and you’re looking for a way to grow your client base or find freelance work, these job boards can help you too.
Here’s a list of some of the best floral industry job boards to get you started—with more details on each included below!
Private student enrollment and memberships to flower education programs
Have a favorite floral design job board to add to this list? Contact us via the chat button on the right and let us know!
Slower Flowers Directory
Flower farmers and floral design members of the Slow Flowers Directory can use this tool to connect with one another, discovering new relationships, job and freelance opportunities, and local flower sources.
Society of American Florists (SAF) classifieds
Members of the Society of American Florists (SAF) have access to the classifieds, where flower shop jobs and floral employment opportunities of all kinds are posted.
FloralDaily’s job offers listing
The global FloralDaily newsletter also has a public job offer listing. Jobs are posted from around the globe and consist of roles throughout the floriculture production and horticulture industry.
AIFD job bank
The AIFD, or American Institute of Floral Designers, has a job bank that you can view even if you’re not currently a member of AIFD. AIFD members can post job openings for a small fee.
American Floral Endowment (AFE) Career Center
The American Floral Endowment (AFE) has recently launched a job board, called the AFE Career Center, for roles within the horticultural, floriculture, and floral industries.
Private flower education program job boards and newsletters
If you attend or complete a professional floral education program, such as Floriology, the Flower School of New York, Team Flower Online Classes, and Flowerschool Portland, you may have access to notifications about job openings through private job boards and newsletters. It’s a great place to search for botanical jobs across the U.S.
Team Flower Directory and Community
We might be a little bit biased, but the Team Flower Community is one of the best places online to connect with other floral professionals (and employment and freelance opportunities) both near and far.
And the Team Flower Directory can help others find your design services or locally grown flowers—or help you find willing freelancers.
Love these helpful tips and resources for growing your floral career? Get more of them by joining our pen pal club.
There are countless needs to be filled within the floral industry—one of them just might be for you!
Find the floral industry job that’s right for you
Don’t limit yourself to the floral design careers listed in this article.
The possibilities of working with flowers are only limited by your imagination!
There are needs for wedding and event florists, garland-makers, floral preservation for wedding bouquets, plant shop owners, weekly flowers for restaurants, businesses, and homes, floral yoga studios, wellness workshops that include therapeutic flower arranging and healing with flowers, mandala-making, and more!
There are so many careers in the floral industry to consider. We hope it inspires you to explore a career in floral design that makes you excited to wake up each morning.
If you are drawn to something, chase it! Always follow what makes you excited and keep moving forward.
Looking for floral design jobs? If you’re a member of the Team Flower Community, you’re automatically listed in our floral designer directory—connect with other floral pros, find freelance floral design work, and so much more!
Resources for your next steps in flowers
Feeling inspired to take the next step on your flower journey?
Here are 4 powerful resources to empower you in your floral career.
Learn how to become a florist: In this guided online course, you’ll be equipped to confidently start your floristry career in this online course. Learn floral industry language, get connected to suppliers, and receive step-by-step design instruction for building your floral design portfolio. Coaching with the instructor is included.
Floral design classes: Strengthen your design skill set with online classes and grow your career.
Team Flower Podcast: Is a Floral Career for You? Hear from Mayesh Design Star Kaylee Young as she shares a few encouraging words to those who may be thinking about pursuing floristry as a career.
Design Video: Finding Your Why for Flower Arranging: Discover your own flower story as floral educator Kelly Perry shares the why behind her own floral design philosophy.
Contributing Authors and Photographers
Kaylee Young
Parts of this guide was originally published in a Team Flower article contributed by Team Flower Member Kaylee Young. (Thanks, Kaylee!)
Kaylee is a studio florist from Portland, Oregon, who specializes in wedding and event flowers. She has always had a sense of creativity, but it wasn’t until she found flowers that she felt like she began to truly “flourish.” Her mission is to create beauty in the world and to help others feel understood through bringing their visions to life.
Team Flower Staff
Our mission is to connect and empower flower lovers with lifelong, global community support and education to help them love the world through flowers. We work together as a team to bring you the best free educational content for floral designers that we can. Have questions? Contact us via the chat button on the right!