Valentine’s Day is flower-giving day. But how much do those who design and sell the bouquets actually earn?
Next to Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day is probably the most important day in the flower sellers’ calendar. While the latter is traditionally celebrated on the second Sunday in May (this year May 12th), the lovers’ feast day is always on February 14th. Customers who would otherwise rarely or never show up there also show up at the flower shop on these dates.
If you’re wondering how much a medium-sized bouquet of flowers can cost, you should remember that the florists and their employees also have something to worry about. Because florists are certainly not big earners. Although the job, which requires three years of vocational training, is one of the “technically oriented jobs”, it is usually paid modestly.
Florists earn modestly
According to the Federal Employment Agency’s salary statistics, the average monthly salary of florists is just 2,066 euros. Gross and full-time, mind you. Every fourth florist earns less than 1,770 euros, a quarter earns more than 2,355 euros. The employment agency’s average values are based on around 11,500 salary data for this profession. This makes floristry one of the lowest paid apprenticeships.
According to the collective agreement, most employed florists should actually earn a little more than shown in the employment agency statistics since last year. The tariff for West Germany negotiated by IG Bau provided for various salary increases as of July 1, 2023. In the lowest pay level, the salary rose from 2,090 to 2,200 euros (13.01 euros/hour). For skilled workers, the basic wage rose from 2,250 euros to 2,360 euros (13.96 euros/hour). Trainees receive 800 euros in the first year, 900 in the second and 1000 euros in the third year. The collective agreement runs until the middle of this year.
However, the minimum salaries negotiated by the union only apply to the western collective bargaining area. Employers recently refused to adopt the results for the eastern German federal states. Employees there currently only have the general statutory minimum wage as a binding lower limit, which rose to 12.41 euros per hour on January 1st. According to IG Bau, the floristry industry has a total of around 30,000 employees.
Source: Stern
