Horticulturist vs florist

The differences between horticulturists and florists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a horticulturist, becoming a florist takes usually requires 3-6 months. Additionally, a horticulturist has an average salary of $36,583, which is higher than the $34,823 average annual salary of a florist.

The top three skills for a horticulturist include GRASS, irrigation systems and horticulture. The most important skills for a florist are floral deliveries, flower arrangements, and customer orders.

Horticulturist vs florist overview

	Horticulturist	Florist
Yearly salary	$36,583	$34,823
Hourly rate	$17.59	$16.74
Growth rate	8%	-21%
Number of jobs	327	1,381
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	40	48
Years of experience	2	6

Horticulturist vs florist salary

Horticulturists and florists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Horticulturist	Florist
Average salary	$36,583	$34,823
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $60,000	Between $24,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Wellesley, MA	-
Highest paying state	Connecticut	-
Best paying company	Stanford Health Care	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between horticulturist and florist education

There are a few differences between a horticulturist and a florist in terms of educational background:

	Horticulturist	Florist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Plant Sciences	Business
Most common college	Cornell University	Stanford University

Horticulturist vs florist demographics

Here are the differences between horticulturists' and florists' demographics:

	Horticulturist	Florist
Average age	40	48
Gender ratio	Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6%	Male, 22.8% Female, 77.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 9.1% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 3.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	19%	14%

Differences between horticulturist and florist duties and responsibilities

Horticulturist example responsibilities.

Manage payroll processing and all aspects of accounts receivable and payable.
Operate snow plows, snow blowers and large salt sprayers.
Maintain all flower beds, landscape areas, and turf grass areas.
Use hand tools, such as shovels, rakes, pruning saws, saws, hedge or brush trimmers.
Maintain inventory and help with Quickbooks.
Provide assistance with loading and unloading pigs.

Florist example responsibilities.

Manage all facets of day-to-day business administration, accounts payable/receivable, and payroll, ensuring an efficient operation.
Perform management, sales associate and florist duties.
Experience in doing FTD, Teleflora and other wire service arrangements.
Take orders over the phone and in person using a POS system.
Assist customers in their flower purchases while using a florist relate POS system.
Make recommendations to other management staff for newly design products appealing to the market.

Horticulturist vs florist skills

Common horticulturist skills

GRASS, 13%
Irrigation Systems, 9%
Horticulture, 9%
Grounds Maintenance, 7%
Mowing, 6%
Plant Material, 4%

Common florist skills

Floral Deliveries, 14%
Flower Arrangements, 12%
Customer Orders, 7%
Payroll, 7%
Water Plants, 7%
Retail Sales, 5%

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Horticulturist vs Florist

Updated January 8, 2025

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