Florist
Personal-services trade designing and producing floral arrangements for retail, events and special occasions.
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Florist (362111), the closest official match for florist, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- People employed
- 5,300
- Future demand
- Stable
- Work full-time
- 48%
- Average full-time hours
- 45 a week
- Women
- 94%
- Median age
- 40
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 26.9% |
| VIC | 27.6% |
| QLD | 17.7% |
| WA | 11.3% |
| SA | 9.3% |
| TAS | 3% |
| ACT | 2.1% |
| NT | 2% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 3.1% |
| Bachelor degree | 15.2% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 12.7% |
| Certificate I-IV | 34.4% |
| Year 12 | 16.5% |
| Below Year 12 | 12.8% |
What a florist actually does
Florist mornings start very early on flower-market days - 4 or 5am to be at the wholesale market for the freshest stock. Most florists buy two or three times a week and trim, condition and arrange at the shop bench. A retail shop day mixes walk-ins, phone orders and online orders. Funerals, weddings and corporate gigs each have their own rhythm. Wedding seasons (October to April in most of Australia) push florists into long days and weekend installs - setting up arches, centrepieces and bouquets on site. Funeral work is daily and often emotionally heavy. Stems waste water, leaves and cut foliage on the workbench - the shop is constantly being swept and cleared. Hands take a beating from thorns, secateurs and constantly cold water. Most retail shops finish 5-6pm. Wedding days can run 6am to midnight. Earnings are modest at the apprentice and journey stage but improve with shop ownership or a wedding-specialist business.
Skills you'll use
- Identifying and conditioning a wide range of cut flowers
- Designing arrangements, bouquets and installations
- Pricing, costing and quoting
- Customer service in person and online
- Sympathy and empathy for funeral work
- Stock ordering and waste management
- Event setup and on-site installation
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 with English and a creative subject (art or design)
- 2Sign a 3-year apprenticeship or traineeship at a retail florist
- 3Complete the AHC30722 Certificate III in Horticulture (or the SFL30115 Certificate III in Floristry where offered) through TAFE
- 4Build a portfolio of wedding and event work
- 5Optional - run a stall at local markets or build an online order book
- 6For self-employment - register a business and complete a Certificate IV in Floristry for management skills
Where you can work
- Retail florist shops in suburbs and CBDs
- Wedding and events florists (often home-based studios)
- Corporate florists supplying offices and hotels
- Online flower delivery services
- Wholesale flower distributors
- Hospital and aged-care gift shops
- Self-employed market stall or pop-up business
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Apprentice and tradesperson pay is set by the modern award or enterprise agreement that covers the job; check it with the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
- Apprentice3 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice florist, Third-year apprentice florist
- Florist0-5 yearsTypical roles: Retail florist, Wedding florist, Event florist
- Senior florist or manager5-10 yearsTypical roles: Senior florist, Shop manager, Wedding stylist
- Shop owner8+ yearsTypical roles: Florist shop owner, Wedding and events specialist
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You have a strong eye for colour, texture and composition
- You can deal with customers calmly under wedding-day pressure
- You can handle very early mornings on market days
- You don't mind cold, wet hands and stems all day
- You can tolerate the emotional weight of funeral work
This might not suit you if
- You need a high income early in your career
- You have a back or wrist condition that limits standing and trimming
- You have severe hay fever or pollen allergies
- You can't work weekends during wedding season
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
Not nationally licensed. Some states impose contractor licensing once work exceeds a value threshold.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | No trade-specific licence listed |
| VIC | No trade-specific licence listed |
| QLD | No trade-specific licence listed |
| SA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| WA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| TAS | No trade-specific licence listed |
| NT | No trade-specific licence listed |
| ACT | No trade-specific licence listed |