Florist
Personal-services trade designing and producing floral arrangements for retail, events and special occasions.
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 pay bands. Figures are sourced from Job Outlook, the Fair Work Building Industry Award, or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile.
- Apprentice3 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice florist, Third-year apprentice floristSalary band: $25,000 - $45,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Florist0-5 yearsTypical roles: Retail florist, Wedding florist, Event floristSalary band: $50,000 - $65,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- Senior florist or manager5-10 yearsTypical roles: Senior florist, Shop manager, Wedding stylistSalary band: $60,000 - $80,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
- 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 | Not licensed in this state |
| VIC | Not licensed in this state |
| QLD | Not licensed in this state |
| SA | Not licensed in this state |
| WA | Not licensed in this state |
| TAS | Not licensed in this state |
| NT | Not licensed in this state |
| ACT | Not licensed in this state |