Flower shops now take many orders online, often through delivery services, and use software for ordering, pricing and design ideas. Floral designers still choose and condition flowers, build arrangements by hand and work with customers on weddings, funerals and events.
The short answer: AI exposure is limited, and the decline the BLS projects is about how flowers are sold. The ILO's 2025 index rates interior designers and decorators, the closest group, at minimal exposure with a score of 0.37. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 6 percent decline for floral designers from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,200 openings a year, all from replacing workers who leave. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed floral designers are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Designers and Decorators | Minimal exposure | 0.37 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for floral designers, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Floral designers | Decline 6% | About 5,200 |
The BLS says demand continues for arrangements at events such as weddings and funerals, and notes that local florist shops, where many floral designers work, often fill online orders from flower delivery services. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Suggesting designs and color palettes.
- Pricing and ordering stock.
- Answering routine customer questions online.
- Writing product descriptions and social posts.
What stays with floral designers
- Arranging: building pieces by hand with living, varying materials.
- Events: planning and setting up weddings and funerals with families.
- Care for stock: choosing, conditioning and keeping flowers fresh.
- Checking AI help: suggested designs and answers can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Online ordering shapes how shops get work, and event and custom design are where a designer's skill shows most. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace event planners?, will AI replace interior designers? and will AI replace retail workers?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for floral designers at $37,360 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: high school diploma or equivalent. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace florists?
Not on current evidence. The closest ILO group has minimal exposure, though the BLS projects a 6 percent decline for floral designers from 2025 to 2035.
Does the BLS link florist decline to AI?
No. Its outlook does not mention AI. It notes that local shops often fill online orders from flower delivery services.
How many floral designer openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 5,200 openings a year, all replacing workers who leave.
What floral work stays human?
Hand arranging, event work with families, caring for stock and checking AI suggestions.