How To Become A Floral Designer

A floral designer creates flower arrangements for various clients. They could be asked to make floral displays for such occasions as weddings, debuts and funerals. Some floral designers make the floral arrangements for offices and homes to enhance the look and feel of a particular space.

As a floral designer, you are expected to have an intimate knowledge of flowers that will enable you to determine which varieties to use for a particular occasion or room arrangement. Your knowledge transcends the aesthetics because you have floral arrangement down to a science.

This means that you know the number of stalks that will fit into a container, the number of petals that can cover each square feet of space or how many hours a type of flower can look fresh even without water. These details are important in enabling florists to determine the number of flowers that will be needed to meet event or location requirements and address the customer’s budgetary concerns.

Your work does not always have to do with making complicated arrangements for special occasions. You may also be asked to do simple bouquets while customers wait at the flower shop. If a client just wants to give his wife a bouquet to express his love on any ordinary day, for example, you will help him pick the flowers and greenery first. You will then craft a very appealing bouquet right in front of him.

For customers who simply want to buy cut flowers that can be displayed in their homes, your role will be to educate them on how to retain their freshness. You’ll inform them of the frequency of the water changes they need to make and recommend to them flower food to keep the blooms alive for a longer period of time.

You may be collaborating with event planners to transform the setting for a special occasion, such as a wedding or banquet. In these cases, you will be responsible not only for making the floral arrangements but putting them up on the venue and then removing them after the party is over.

To succeed in this profession, you will need to have a flair for artistic arrangement and creativity in order to create floral designs that will please your customers. You must also be a good listener so that you will understand what the client wants and thus be able to provide excellent customer service. If you are running your own business, you also need to be very organized so that floral deliveries don’t get mixed up and event orders are promptly filled.

Why Become A Floral Designer

One reason to become a floral designer is that it provides individuals with the chance to showcase their artistic ability and creativity. Arranging cut flowers and greenery into a work of art is very fulfilling for those whose inclinations run along this field. There is a certain degree of satisfaction in knowing that it was their work that made an event a huge success or that their aesthetic bouquet was essential in clearing misunderstandings between husbands and wives.

Those who possess an inherent passion for flowers and are able to use their artistry and skill in making floral arrangements for weddings and other special occasions make great floral designers. It’s really pure love for this art form that motivates a floral designer to pursue this career since the pay itself is not very attractive.

Those who are highly entrepreneurial have the chance to establish their own business after a few years of experience working in the industry.

Floral Designer Work Environment

Most floral designers work in flower shops whose business centers mainly on making floral arrangements for clients. There are some who are hired by grocery stores, shopping malls and other establishments to take care of their fresh flowers section that also makes floral arrangements. No matter where they work, the area is usually comfortable, well-lighted and filled with the wonderful smell of freshly-cut flowers. It can be a bit cooler compared to other places since cut flowers thrive longer when they are placed in low temperatures.

Work schedule is typically full time. Those who work in grocery stores and malls can expect longer work hours because these are open longer compared to regular flower shops. Special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas as well as certain months of the year when weddings abound are busy times for floral designers. During these occasions, they may have to work longer hours.

Floral Designer Salary

Floral designers don’t earn a lot so the wages aren’t a reason to enter this profession. Those who do have the talent for floral arrangement and have business savvy at the same time will have the chance to operate their own flower shop which will give them the opportunity to earn more.

Average Floral Designer Annual Salary

$28,220

The average annual salary for floral designers is $28,220 a year. Salaries start at $19,080 a year and go up to $39,540 a year.

Average Floral Designer Hourly Wage

$13.57

The average hourly wage for a floral designer is $13.57. Hourly wages are between $9.17 and $19.01 an hour.

Stats were based out of 43,470 employed floral designers in the United States.

Highest Paying States For Floral Designers

1. District of Columbia $20.60 / hr $42,840 / yr
2. Rhode Island $17.07 / hr $35,510 / yr
3. Nevada $16.69 / hr $34,720 / yr
4. Massachusetts $16.00 / hr $33,280 / yr
5. Connecticut $15.83 / hr $32,930 / yr

Top Paying Cities For Floral Designers

1. Santa Maria, CA $21.66 / hr$45,050 / yr
2. San Francisco, CA $21.48 / hr$44,670 / yr
3. Minneapolis, MN $17.85 / hr$37,140 / yr
4. Fort Collins, CO $17.62 / hr$36,650 / yr
5. Bridgeport, CT $17.56 / hr$36,530 / yr

Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Floral Designer Career Outlook

The employment outlook for floral designers is not very promising for the next few years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected that in the years covering 2012 to 2022, there will be an eight percent decline in the employment rate of floral designers. This is because florist shops, which are the major employers of floral designers, are projected to have less need for personnel in the said time period.

The reason for this is because fewer people are purchasing sophisticated and intricate arrangements that florist shops are known for. Customers are now buying cut flowers from grocery stores and shops that sell general merchandise which contribute to the reduction of the demand for florists. The outlook will be good for designers who are targeting employment in the floral arrangement section of grocery stores.

While there will be a substantial 22 percent decline in the employment of floral designers in florist shops, the BLS projects a seven percent increase in the employment rate of the profession in grocery stores.

Floral Designer Degree

The entry point for this profession is simply a high school diploma. Most florists are taught the arrangements and other skills needed on the job by the owner or the senior flower designers. However, those who want to learn the craft in-depth in preparation for opening their own flower shop can take up an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree program in floral design offered in some community colleges and universities.

Certification is voluntary but can increase one’s chances of getting hired because it demonstrates expertise in the job. The Certified Floral Designer certification is offered by the American Institute of Floral Designers.