Florist - Job description - skills, tasks, pay and qualifications

Sep 13, 2026

Upload by Noah

Florist work centers on designing and creating floral arrangements for wreaths, bouquets, vases, centrepieces, and sometimes entire rooms or outdoor areas for weddings and events. Core duties include arranging flower displays to attract customers, discussing needs and selecting flowers, taking orders in person, by phone, or online, and keeping flowers in perfect condition. Florists also prepare arrangements for celebrations and funerals, provide plant-care advice, set up displays at events, and maintain a tidy shop. Typical skills include communication, resilience, organisation, teamwork, problem solving, initiative, creativity, and digital literacy, with training routes such as college courses and apprenticeships.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Job overview

Tasks and responsibilities

Skills required

Work sectors and work patterns

Salary and working hours

Qualifications and entry routes

Future job outlook

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Job name: Florist | | Job description: A Florist will design and create arrangements of flowers in wreaths, bouquets, vases and centrepiece elements. Sometimes florists may design entire rooms or outdoor areas and fill them with flowers in a pleasing arrangement. This is especially true in the case of extravagant weddings or parties. | | Tasks you will undertake in the job: As a florist, you'll:
• arrange displays of plants and flowers to attract customers
• talk to customers about their needs and help them choose flowers and plants
• take orders in person, on the phone and online
• keep flowers in perfect condition
• prepare arrangements for weddings, celebrations and funerals
• learn new floristry skills like wiring and presentation
• give plant care advice
• set up flower displays at events
• clean vases and keep the shop tidy
Some florists stick to pre-formatted layouts in order to design their flower arrangements, while others are true artists, or floral designers, who create their own patterns or design original works on commission. Though creating floral arrangements for events and parties is the typical responsibility of a florist, they are also artists who may create designs for other purposes. There are floral competitions, or a temporary sculpture of a horse made from the stems and heads of sunflowers. In addition to arranging flowers, a florist is also responsible for their care. They must be proficient in all aspects of plant care and be able to maintain a wide variety of species of flower, foliage, herb and ornamental grass. | Skills required for this job (core competencies): |
Communication | Resilience | Organisation | Teamwork | | --- | --- | --- | --- | |
Problem Solving | Initiative | Creativity | Digital literacy | | Sectors in which Florists would normally work:
Most florists, if they are not working as part of an internet-based flower retailer, carry out their daily responsibilities in an independent shop. In addition to a private area for working on floral arrangements, shops will usually have a large retail display area with a wide variety of flowers, where customers can browse. Depending on the regional area and season, floral designers will maintain this front office space or even a street side display of their offerings. They also maintain one or more fridges, depending on the size of the shop, where flowers are stored to lengthen their useful life.
Along with these responsibilities, a florist will work with customers in the shop or on the phone to take orders and discuss custom floral designs. Floral designers working in these shops usually have a regular working day, arriving when the shop is open and leaving at closing time. In some cases, a florist who also manages the shop must work after-hours, usually to catch up on bookkeeping duties or to fulfil large orders.
A florist employed by larger companies, especially internet-based floral shops, almost always works a traditional 40-hour work week. They usually work in an industrial environment, creating arrangements according to specifications set out by the work orders they receive. These florists may also be responsible for packaging the flowers and preparing them to ship to customers. | | | | Salary: Florists are typically paid a starting wage of £12 5000, this increases with experience, skilled Florists can expect to earn approximately £20 000 per year. Working hours: Working hours are usually around 28 -32 hours per week. It is likely that you will work during some evenings and weekends. Qualifications to become a Florist: You can get into this job through: a college course; an apprenticeship; working towards this role College courses: You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Courses include: Level 1 Certificate in Floral Design; Level 2 Certificate in Floristry and Level 3 Extended Diploma in Flori

FAQs

What tasks does a florist typically perform?

A florist arranges plants and flowers to attract customers, discusses options with clients, and takes orders in person, by phone, or online. They also prepare arrangements for weddings, celebrations, and funerals, keep flowers in perfect condition, and give plant-care advice.

What skills are required to succeed as a florist?

Florists are expected to demonstrate communication, resilience, organisation, teamwork, problem solving, initiative, creativity, and digital literacy. Strong interpersonal skills and time management are highlighted as advantages.

How can someone qualify to become a florist, and what are the working patterns?

Entry routes include college courses (with level certificates/diploma), apprenticeships, or working towards the role. Working hours are usually around 28–32 hours per week and may include evenings and weekends.

Sep 13, 2026

Upload by Noah