Toronto has a thriving floristry scene, from neighbourhood flower shops to high-volume wedding and event studios, and floral departments inside major grocery chains. Hiring happens year-round, with peak hiring before Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and the spring wedding season. Here's who is actively posting for florist and floral assistant roles right now.
Flower shops & floral employers currently hiring in Toronto
Sourced from Indeed Canada and employer career pages as of May 31, 2026.
Toronto Flower Market
Floral Designer / Sales Associate · Toronto, ON · Full-time & Part-time
Toronto Flower Market operates a retail flower shop and wholesale arm near the Toronto wholesale district. Associate roles cover retail sales, arrangement assistance, and stem preparation. Floral design roles expect at least basic hands-on experience with arrangement composition.
View floral designer roles in Toronto →Palmerston Flowers
Florist / Floral Assistant · Toronto, ON · Part-time
A beloved independent on Palmerston Blvd known for garden-style arrangements and event floristry. Palmerston Flowers hires assistants for stem conditioning, customer orders, and event setup. Small team environment, you'll be working closely with senior designers on weddings and corporate installations.
Search florist assistant roles in Toronto →McEwan Flowers
Floral Designer · Toronto & North York · Full-time
McEwan operates multiple upscale floral studios in Toronto serving high-end retail, corporate, and event clients. Full floral designer roles here expect a portfolio and ideally professional training. The work involves complex centrepieces, wedding arches, and sympathy arrangements at a premium level.
View floral designer postings →Bloomer's Florist
Florist / Shop Assistant · Toronto, ON · Part-time
A long-standing Toronto neighbourhood florist with a walk-in retail focus and event work. Assistants handle stem prep, customer orders, phone and online order fulfillment, and delivery coordination. Weekend availability is important, that is when volume is highest.
Browse florist openings in Toronto →Ital Flowers
Floral Designer / Shop Associate · Toronto, ON · Full-time
Ital Flowers serves the Italian-Canadian community and broader Toronto market with a focus on sympathy, wedding, and occasion arrangements. The shop is high-volume during holidays and memorial seasons. Staff are expected to handle hand-tied bouquets and formal arrangement work.
Search flower shop jobs in Toronto →1-800-Flowers Canada
Floral Designer / Production Associate · Toronto & GTA · Full-time
1-800-Flowers has a production and fulfilment operation serving the GTA market. Production associate roles focus on high-volume arrangement assembly rather than custom design, ideal for someone who wants steady hours and is comfortable with production-style work. Surge hiring happens around Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
View 1-800-Flowers Toronto openings →Loblaws / No Frills Floral Department
Floral Clerk / Floral Department Associate · Multiple Toronto locations · Part-time
Major grocery chains like Loblaws and No Frills hire floral clerks who manage the in-store floral department, receiving deliveries, conditioning stems, building display bouquets, and serving walk-in customers. These roles are accessible to candidates without formal floristry training and offer stable part-time hours with union benefits at many locations.
View floral clerk openings in Toronto →Metro Floral Department
Floral Department Associate · Multiple Toronto locations · Part-time
Metro grocery stores across Toronto maintain floral departments that sell pre-made bouquets and take occasion orders. Associate roles require no design experience, training is provided on conditioning, display, and order assembly. A good entry point if you want floristry exposure without committing to a specialty shop right away.
Browse Metro floral associate postings →What floristry work involves day-to-day
At an independent flower shop, a typical day begins with receiving and conditioning fresh-cut flowers, trimming stems at an angle under water, removing foliage below the waterline, and storing blooms in the correct temperature zones. From there, the work splits between customer service (walk-ins, phone orders, online order fulfillment) and production (building arrangements, bouquets, and event pieces).
At event-focused studios, large portions of the week are spent in production mode, assembling centrepieces, flower walls, bridal bouquets, and ceremony arches. Event days involve early morning shop setup and sometimes on-site delivery and installation. The physical demands are real: carrying buckets of water, standing for extended shifts, and doing repetitive hand work.
At grocery store floral departments, the work is closer to retail stock rotation, receiving deliveries, conditioning and displaying pre-made bouquets, maintaining the cooler, and serving impulse buyers. Design creativity is minimal, but the hours are predictable and the environment is familiar for anyone with grocery retail experience.
What florists earn in Toronto
Floral assistant and grocery store floral clerk roles in Toronto typically start at Ontario's minimum wage of $17.60/hour as of October 2025, often reaching $18.50–$20/hour after six to twelve months in the role.
Experienced floral designers at independent Toronto studios typically earn $20–$25/hour. Designers who specialize in wedding and event work, where arrangements are more complex and margins are higher, can earn $24–$28/hour at established studios. Senior or lead designers at high-end event florists sometimes exceed this range, particularly when their design work directly drives client retention.
Grocery union positions (Loblaws UFCW locations) often have defined pay scales with seniority-based increases, benefit eligibility at a certain hours threshold, and statutory holiday pay calculated on a union formula. For those prioritizing stability and benefits over creative floristry, grocery floral departments are worth considering alongside independent shops.
Do you need formal training to work at a flower shop?
Floristry is not a regulated trade in Ontario. You do not need a licence, diploma, or certification to work at a flower shop. Most independent shops will hire assistants based on demonstrated enthusiasm, availability, and a willingness to learn the physical skills on the job.
That said, formal training makes a real difference for design-focused roles. Humber College and Toronto-area continuing education programs offer floristry and floral design courses. The Canadian Academy of Floral Art (CAFA) offers certifications recognized across the industry. Completing even a short floristry certificate signals to employers that you understand proportion, colour theory, and mechanics, competencies that take months to pick up on the job.
For high-end event studios like McEwan, a portfolio of past work is typically expected for senior designer roles. If you are building toward that level, document your arrangements consistently, even work done at home or in a course setting is worth photographing. For broader context on retail hiring in Toronto, see our clothing stores hiring guide or our sales associate hiring guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need floristry experience to get a job at a flower shop in Toronto?
Not for entry-level assistant roles. Most independent shops and grocery floral departments will train candidates who show genuine enthusiasm and reliability. Formal design experience or training is expected for senior designer roles at high-end studios.
What do florists earn per hour in Toronto?
Floral assistants and grocery floral clerks typically start at $17.60–$20/hour. Experienced floral designers earn $20–$25/hour. Specialists in wedding and event floristry at established Toronto studios can earn $24–$28/hour.
When is the best time to apply for flower shop jobs in Toronto?
January and February (ahead of Valentine's Day) and March through April (ahead of Mother's Day and the spring wedding season) are the peak hiring windows. Summer wedding season also drives mid-year hiring. Most independent shops don't hire on a fixed schedule, apply any time you see a posting.
Is floristry physically demanding?
Yes. You'll spend most of a shift on your feet, carrying buckets of water-filled flowers, doing repetitive cutting and arrangement work with your hands, and sometimes lifting and transporting heavy event installations. Back and wrist strain are common, good footwear and posture habits matter.
Are grocery store floral department jobs good for beginners?
Yes. Grocery floral roles (Loblaws, Metro, Sobeys) are accessible to beginners, offer predictable hours, and at unionized locations include benefit eligibility. They won't develop your design skills the way an independent shop will, but they provide solid exposure to flower handling, conditioning, and retail customer service.