Floral Designers: Career Profile
Design, cut, and arrange live, dried, or artificial flowers and foliage.
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What Do Floral Designers Take On?
The core tasks performed by floral designers include:
- Confer with clients regarding price and type of arrangement desired and the date, time, and place of delivery.
- Select flora and foliage for arrangements, working with numerous combinations to synthesize and develop new creations.
- Order and purchase flowers and supplies from wholesalers and growers.
- Deliver arrangements to customers, or oversee employees responsible for deliveries.
- Plan arrangement according to client's requirements, using knowledge of design and properties of materials, or select appropriate standard design pattern.
- Water plants, and cut, condition, and clean flowers and foliage for storage.
- Trim material and arrange bouquets, wreaths, terrariums, and other items, using trimmers, shapers, wire, pins, floral tape, foam, and other materials.
- Wrap and price completed arrangements.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful floral designers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Floral Designers Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Artificial Foliage Arranger
- Corsage Maker
- Custom Framer
- Design Consultant
- Design Maker
- Design Studio Specialist
- Designer
- Floral Arranger
How Many Floral Designers Are There?
There are roughly 16,430 floral designers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +6.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Floral Designers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $95,085 |
| Hourly median | $45.71 |
| 10th percentile | $59,997 |
| 25th percentile | $77,541 |
| 75th percentile | $112,629 |
| 90th percentile | $130,173 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Floral Designers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $45,690 |
| Alaska | $45,490 |
| New York | $44,070 |
| Massachusetts | $43,250 |
| District of Columbia | $42,960 |
| Colorado | $41,620 |
| Washington | $41,160 |
| New Jersey | $40,000 |
| Connecticut | $39,810 |
| Maryland | $38,930 |
| Nevada | $38,770 |
| Oregon | $38,290 |
| New Hampshire | $37,280 |
| Rhode Island | $37,100 |
| Hawaii | $36,630 |
| Minnesota | $36,370 |
| North Carolina | $36,250 |
| Maine | $36,070 |
| Arizona | $36,070 |
| Virginia | $35,710 |
| New Mexico | $35,520 |
| Vermont | $35,420 |
| Illinois | $35,410 |
| Florida | $35,240 |
| Utah | $34,910 |
| North Dakota | $34,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,880 |
| Michigan | $34,700 |
| South Dakota | $34,050 |
| Ohio | $33,920 |
| Indiana | $33,800 |
| Wisconsin | $33,480 |
| Tennessee | $32,950 |
| Georgia | $32,440 |
| Alabama | $31,360 |
| Delaware | $31,340 |
| Texas | $31,010 |
| Idaho | $30,770 |
| Nebraska | $30,550 |
| Missouri | $30,520 |
| Montana | $30,160 |
| Kansas | $30,150 |
| Arkansas | $29,990 |
| Louisiana | $29,930 |
| Kentucky | $29,840 |
| Iowa | $29,030 |
| South Carolina | $28,800 |
| Oklahoma | $28,370 |
| Mississippi | $28,170 |
| Wyoming | $28,140 |
| West Virginia | $27,830 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,210 |
Where Floral Designers Earn the Most
Earnings for floral designers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $43,551 | 16.6% | 1.01 |
| New England | $39,951 | 5.7% | 1.34 |
| Middle Atlantic | $39,714 | 14.0% | 0.93 |
| Rocky Mountains | $35,689 | 6.4% | 1.73 |
| Great Lakes | $34,451 | 17.2% | 1.23 |
| Southeast | $33,200 | 23.0% | 0.95 |
| Plains States | $31,911 | 8.2% | 1.23 |
| Southwest | $31,205 | 8.7% | 0.75 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | HI | $50,100 | 50 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $48,920 | 540 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $47,960 | 30 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $46,800 | 50 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $46,710 | 1,400 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $45,820 | 420 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $45,750 | 230 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $45,610 | 40 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of floral designers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 36,200 | $36,090 |
| Wholesale Trade | 1,450 | $34,950 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 770 | $43,860 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 590 | $35,040 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 310 | $38,470 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 270 | $45,410 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 180 | $32,260 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 150 | $40,360 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for floral designers reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Contact With Others
How to Become Floral Designers
Typical floral designers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Craft Artists (Primary-Short)
- Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators (Supplemental)
- Commercial and Industrial Designers (Supplemental)
- Fashion Designers (Primary-Short)
- Interior Designers (Primary-Long)
- Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers (Primary-Long)
- Photographers (Supplemental)
- Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists (Supplemental)
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-1023.00 (Floral Designers).