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Landscape Architects

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Plan and design land areas for projects such as parks and other recreational facilities, airports, highways, hospitals, schools, land subdivisions, and commercial, industrial, and residential sites.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $79,870 Median per year · $38.40/hr Most earn $54,770–$130,190

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Integrate existing land features or landscaping into designs.
  • Prepare conceptual drawings, graphics, or other visual representations of land areas to show predicted growth or development of land areas over time.
  • Identify and select appropriate sustainable materials for use in landscape designs, such as recycled wood or recycled concrete boards for structural elements or recycled tires for playground bedding.
  • Prepare graphic representations or drawings of proposed plans or designs.
  • Inspect proposed sites to identify structural elements of land areas or other important site information, such as soil condition, existing landscaping, or the proximity of water management facilities.
  • Develop planting plans to help clients garden productively or to achieve particular aesthetic effects.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 1,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Landscaping services19.9%
  • Engineering services17.1%
  • Self-employed (their own business)16.7%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals3.8%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals2.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Landscape architecture is not usually an entry-level job. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend about 2 to 4 years working under experienced landscape architects before taking on the full role, and many also work toward a state license.

  1. High school diploma with strong math, art, and drawing classes

    4 years

    Building drawing, geometry, and design skills now makes it easier to get into a bachelor's program and handle the design work.

  2. Bachelor's degree in landscape architecture

    4 years

    You learn plant science, site design, drafting, and computer design software, and often complete a studio project portfolio that employers look at when hiring.

  3. Landscape Architect Intern (or Landscape Designer)

    2-4 years

    You work on real parks, campuses, and residential projects under licensed landscape architects, building experience and the supervised hours that many states require before licensing.

  4. Landscape Architect

    Ongoing career

    Once you have the required experience and, in most places, a license, you lead design work and make decisions on projects for clients and cities.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Landscape Architect

    3-5 years of experience first

    You take on larger or more complex projects, guide junior staff, and become the main contact for important clients, usually after showing strong design and technical skills.

  2. Project Manager

    5+ years of experience first

    You focus on budgets, schedules, and coordinating teams with engineers, architects, and contractors, which often builds on senior-level experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take geometry, drafting, and art classesThese build the spatial thinking and drawing skills used in site plans and sketches.
  • Join a garden, environmental, or science clubWorking on plants, soil, or school gardens gives you hands-on knowledge of how landscapes grow and change.
  • Get a summer or weekend job at a nursery or landscaping companyYou'll learn plant names, tools, and how outdoor projects get built from start to finish.
  • Learn basic design software or free sketching appsEarly practice with digital drawing makes college design courses much easier.
  • Start a simple sketchbook of outdoor spacesDocumenting parks and yards you visit builds the design eye and gives you material for a future portfolio.

In college

  • Major in landscape architecture, or take plant science and design coursesA landscape architecture degree is the usual route into this career, and related courses in ecology, horticulture, and drafting strengthen your application.
  • Build a design portfolio in studio classesYour best studio projects become the portfolio that employers review when hiring interns and junior designers.
  • Intern at a landscape architecture firm, parks department, or city planning officeReal project experience counts toward the supervised hours many states require and helps you learn how the field works.
  • Learn CAD and GIS softwareKnowing common drafting and mapping tools is a practical skill that many job ads ask for.
  • Join a student chapter of a design or environmental clubClubs connect you with professionals, competitions, and internship leads, and they look good on your resume.

Tips for getting started

  • Build a portfolio early. Sketches, photos of gardens you've planted, and simple design plans show skill to college admissions teams and future employers.
  • Look for summer or part-time work at a nursery, parks department, or landscaping company. Hands-on plant and site experience helps you stand out in design programs and job interviews.
  • Ask a landscape architect or a city parks planner for an informational interview. Their advice on programs and licensing can save you time and help you pick the right school.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Landscape Architecture Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $59,148 a year · typical debt $21,108
  • Environmental Design Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $51,087 a year · typical debt $20,308

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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