Floristry is one of those careers that looks idyllic from the outside: surrounded by beautiful flowers all day, creating arrangements, making people happy. The reality is more nuanced. It is physically demanding, sometimes poorly paid, and involves far more cleaning and driving than most people expect. It is also creative, rewarding, and one of the most accessible skilled trades to enter.
If you are seriously considering a career in floristry, here is an honest guide to what it takes, what it pays, and what the job actually looks like day to day.
Do You Need Qualifications?
No. There is no legal requirement to hold any qualification to work as a florist or to open a floristry business in the UK. Many successful florists are entirely self-taught or learned on the job.
That said, formal qualifications give you structured learning, industry-recognised credentials, and a foundation that self-teaching cannot always replicate. If you want to work for an established florist or progress quickly, qualifications help.
Formal Qualifications
The main accredited qualifications in the UK are City & Guilds diplomas:
Level 2 Diploma in Floristry is the standard entry-level qualification. It covers hand-tied bouquets, wired work, funeral tributes, planted designs, and customer service. Duration is typically one year full-time or two years part-time at a further education college. Free for 16-18 year olds; adult learners can access advanced learner loans.
Level 3 Advanced Technical Diploma in Floristry builds on Level 2 with more complex design work, event floristry, business management, and independent project work. This is the qualification that opens doors to senior roles and teaching.
Material costs for college courses run to approximately £950 per year for flowers, on top of any course fees.
Apprenticeships
A floristry apprenticeship lets you earn while you learn, working in a real florist business for a minimum of 30 hours per week with time allowed for study.
Level 2 Florist (Intermediate Apprenticeship) takes approximately 12-21 months plus a three-month end-point assessment. Level 3 Senior Florist (Advanced Apprenticeship) takes around two years.
Pay
The current apprentice minimum wage is £7.55 per hour, rising to £8.00 per hour from April 2026. This rate applies to apprentices under 19 or any apprentice in their first year. After the first 12 months, apprentices aged 19 and over must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group.
Funding
The government contributes 95% of training fees for businesses with an annual wage bill under £3 million. For businesses with fewer than 50 employees hiring apprentices aged 18 and under, training costs are 100% funded by the government.
Finding Apprenticeships
Search the GOV.UK Find an Apprenticeship service by postcode and set up alerts. There are currently four approved training providers offering Florist Level 2 courses. The British Florist Association website also lists opportunities. Alternatively, take your CV directly to local florists.
Private Flower Schools
If you want intensive, hands-on training without the time commitment of a college course, private flower schools offer focused programmes.
McQueens Flower School (London) runs a four-week career course covering fundamentals through to large-scale installations, priced at approximately £8,280. They also offer shorter courses from £210 for a one-week Floristry Fundamentals programme.
Judith Blacklock Flower School is the only UK flower school accredited by both the American Institute of Floral Designers and the British Accreditation Council. After 25 years in Knightsbridge, the school has moved primarily online, offering a Professional Business of Floristry Diploma (12 months to complete) and shorter in-person courses.
Tallulah Rose Flower School (Kendal, Cumbria) offers a career change course that was originally £1,450 in person but is now available online for £350.
Kay's Flower School is based in Dublin but delivers all of its courses online, making them fully accessible to UK learners. Founded in 1987, the school has been training florists for nearly four decades and offers CPD-accredited professional certificate programmes in modules covering everything from beginner floristry through to bridal work and large-scale event design. Courses run over four weeks with on-demand video tutorials, daily live Q&A sessions, and one-to-one tutor support. Sundry kits are shipped to UK students, and you source fresh flowers locally through your nearest wholesaler. Prices range from approximately €300 for an introductory course to €1,050-€1,300 for professional modules (overseas rate). The school has a strong commercial focus, teaching pricing, costing, and business skills alongside design technique.
Various local colleges and independent schools across the UK offer shorter workshops and certificates. These are a good way to test whether floristry suits you before committing to a full qualification.
Starting with No Experience
You do not need any experience or qualifications to start working in floristry. Multiple routes are available:
Saturday or part-time work in a flower shop is the traditional entry point. Many employers will hire trainees with zero experience if you show genuine enthusiasm. You will start by cleaning, conditioning flowers, answering phones, and wrapping, which is exactly how most experienced florists began.
Volunteering at events through the British Florist Association, at local churches for flower arranging, or offering free help at weddings and events builds practical experience and portfolio material.
Self-teaching at home using supermarket flowers is a legitimate starting point. Follow florists on social media for technique inspiration, take photographs of your work to build a portfolio, and attend short workshops (many are available for £50-100) to learn the basics.
The biggest barrier to entry is usually the willingness to accept entry-level pay while you learn. Creativity, energy, and strong people skills matter more than formal qualifications.
Salary and Earnings
Employed Florists
| Level | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level / trainee | £13,000-£22,000 |
| Experienced (3-5 years) | £22,000-£28,000 |
| Senior (8+ years) | £28,000-£36,500 |
| Senior in London | Up to £47,000 |
The UK median florist salary sits at approximately £23,400. London salaries are roughly 30% higher than the national average.
Freelance Florists
| Rate | Amount |
|---|---|
| New freelancer | Approximately £15/hour |
| Senior freelancer | £16-£20/hour |
| Manager-level freelancer | Up to £25/hour |
| Day rate (national projects) | Approximately £250/day |
Freelancers must manage their own tax, National Insurance, and have no holiday or sick pay. The hourly rate reflects this.
Wedding Florists
The average UK wedding flower spend is £1,250-£2,000, with mid-range weddings at £2,500-£8,000 and luxury weddings at £6,500-£15,000+. A busy wedding florist doing 30-50 weddings per year at an average of £2,000 per wedding generates £60,000-£100,000 in gross revenue. Flower costs alone typically account for 25-35% of revenue.
The Honest Picture
Entry-level pay is low. A starting salary of £13,000-£18,000 is the reality for many junior florists, and it takes several years to reach a comfortable income as an employee. Self-employment and specialisation (particularly in wedding and event floristry) offer significantly higher earning potential, but they also carry financial risk and require business skills alongside design ability.
What the Job Actually Looks Like
A Typical Day
6:00-8:00am: Many florists start early. Trips to the wholesale flower market. Receiving and checking deliveries. Conditioning flowers: unwrapping, cutting stems, hydrating, removing damaged foliage.
8:00am-12:00pm: Processing orders from overnight and phone/web. Creating bouquets and arrangements. Preparing funeral tributes. Customer consultations for weddings and events.
12:00-5:00pm: Deliveries (florists often drive their own van). Walk-in customer service. Working on bespoke orders. Administrative tasks: invoicing, ordering stock, managing social media.
Late afternoon: Cleaning work surfaces, sweeping, mopping. Restocking displays. Ordering flowers for the next day from wholesalers.
The Parts Nobody Mentions
Only 40-50% of your time is spent arranging flowers. The rest is preparation, cleaning, deliveries, customer service, admin, and stock management.
You will work in cold conditions. Flower shops and studios are kept cool to preserve stock. Flower fridges run at 2-5 degrees. Workers wear layers, hats, and scarves.
You will get wet. Constantly. Handling buckets of water, conditioning stems, and cleaning are part of every single day.
Peak periods are intense. Valentine's Day is the busiest day of the year, with extended hours, no breaks, and preparation starting days in advance. Mother's Day is the second busiest. Wedding season means weekend work from May to September.
Physical Demands
Standing for most of the day. Lifting heavy buckets, vases, and event installations. Working at height on ladders for large installations. Driving delivery vehicles. The BFA notes that florists "may not have a chance to sit down" on peak days.
Career Paths
The Progression Ladder
- Junior Florist / Trainee (0-2 years): Processing flowers, cleaning, taking orders, practising simpler designs under supervision.
- Florist (2-3 years): Creating designs independently. Developing commercial speed and consistency.
- Senior Florist (3-5+ years): Complex commissions, wedding and event work, mentoring junior staff.
- Manager / Head Florist (5+ years): Managing operations, ordering, staff, financial responsibility.
- Business Owner: Running your own shop, studio, or home-based business.
Specialist Paths
Wedding and event floristry offers higher earning potential but demands weekend work and seasonal intensity. Average UK wedding flower spend ranges from £1,250 to well over £10,000.
Funeral floristry provides steady year-round demand. It requires sensitivity and attention to cultural requirements, and is described as intense, artistic work.
Corporate floristry involves regular contracts for hotels, offices, and restaurants, providing predictable recurring income.
Freelancing gives flexibility but requires building a reputation and managing the business side yourself.
Teaching at colleges, private schools, or through your own workshops combines experience with education.
Starting a Business
Business Models
Home-based florist: Startup costs of £2,000-£10,000 covering a flower fridge, basic tools, initial stock, a website, and delivery costs. Lower overheads but potential planning permission considerations if customers visit.
Shop-based florist: Startup costs of £20,000-£75,000+ covering rent, refrigeration, display equipment, initial stock, a delivery van, and marketing. Higher overheads but walk-in trade and visibility.
Online-only / studio florist: Lower overheads than a shop, focusing on delivery and events rather than walk-in trade. Website and social media are essential.
Legal Requirements
No specific licence or qualification is required to trade as a florist. You must register with HMRC as self-employed or register a limited company. Register for VAT if turnover exceeds £90,000. If employing staff, employers' liability insurance is legally required.
Industry Reality
There are approximately 7,932 florist businesses in the UK. Revenue across the industry is approximately £1.1 billion, though this is contracting slightly. Supermarkets account for roughly 54% of UK flower sales, but independent florists dominate the higher-value gift and occasion market.
The shift towards home-based and studio models has lowered barriers to entry. Florists who embrace digital marketing and online ordering are outperforming those who rely solely on walk-in trade.
Where the Opportunities Are
- Wedding and event floristry (higher margins, growing demand for bespoke work)
- Sustainable and British-grown flowers (growing consumer interest)
- Social media-savvy florists building direct-to-consumer brands
- Corporate contracts for hotels, offices, and restaurants
- Workshop and experience-based revenue (wreath making, flower arranging classes)
Honest Advice
Floristry is not a get-rich-quick career. The entry-level pay is low, the work is physical, and the hours are long during peak periods. But it is genuinely creative, deeply satisfying when you see a customer's reaction to your work, and one of the few skilled trades you can enter with no prior experience or qualifications.
If you are considering the leap, start by spending a day or two in a working florist's shop. Volunteer, do work experience, or take a short workshop. The reality of 6am market runs, cold water, and cleaning is very different from the Instagram version. If you still love it after that, you have found the right career.
The British Florist Association is the main UK trade body and a good starting point for careers information, training providers, and industry events.
If you are setting up your own floristry business, our free tools can help you get started. The Florist Shop Name Generator creates tailored name ideas, the Arrangement Calculator helps you price your work, and the Business Markup Calculator ensures your margins cover your overheads.
