What Does a Landscape Architect Do?
Whether working on a city park, a college campus, or a hospital garden, architects in this field need to be able to make outdoor space work for people and for water, such as grading a lawn so rain drains away from buildings. In the case of a small courtyard, it might be something as simple as choosing trees whose roots will not crack the paving.
Also known as: Landscape Architectural Coordinator, Landscape Designer
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as AP BD+C (Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction), Golf Course Architect, Land Planner, Landscape Designer, Landscape Planner, Park Planner, Planner, Professional Landscape Architect (PLA).
Landscape Architect Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a landscape architect include:
- Meet clients and site users to set goals, budgets and schedules for outdoor projects.
- Analyze sites for soils, slopes, sun, drainage and existing trees before design starts.
- Draw site plans, grading plans and planting plans in AutoCAD with Land F/X.
- Design stormwater features such as rain gardens and bioswales that meet local rules.
- Choose plants suited to the climate, soil and maintenance budget.
- Produce renderings in SketchUp and Photoshop for public meetings and review boards.
- Coordinate with civil engineers, architects and irrigation designers on shared site drawings.
- Write specifications and prepare bid documents for contractors.
- Inspect construction to confirm grades, paving and planting match the plans.
- Update campus or park master plans as buildings and uses change.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a landscape architect, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- State license to practice, required in most states
- AutoCAD with Land F/X, plus SketchUp
- Grading and drainage design
- Plant knowledge for the local climate
- Hand sketching and graphic presentation
- Stormwater and site regulations
- Construction observation
- Public speaking at community meetings
Education and Training
To practice and use the professional title, in most states you will need an accredited degree, supervised experience and a passing result on the CLARB registration exam to qualify for a license. BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education. Many practitioners also hold a master's.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $64,170 - $104,090 per year, with a median of $79,870.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Landscape Architects.
According to BLS projections, employment in this occupation will grow about 4 percent from 2025 to 2035. That comes to roughly 1,700 openings a year, a small number for a whole profession. Work here often is tied to public budgets and building activity, but these designers always will be needed as more cities plan for heat and storm runoff.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Landscape architects.
Landscape Architect Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $54,770 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $64,170 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $79,870 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $104,090 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $130,190 |
Highest-Paying States for Landscape Architects
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Alabama ($101,220), California ($98,380), Tennessee ($95,250), New Jersey ($95,020), Utah ($94,430). Pay is lowest in Ohio ($63,790), Nebraska ($62,170), Arkansas ($60,840).
Median pay in all 41 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $101,220 |
| Arizona | $75,310 |
| Arkansas | $60,840 |
| California | $98,380 |
| Colorado | $78,290 |
| Connecticut | $76,680 |
| District of Columbia | $85,100 |
| Florida | $79,650 |
| Georgia | $73,570 |
| Idaho | $73,950 |
| Illinois | $67,460 |
| Indiana | $64,980 |
| Iowa | $87,270 |
| Kansas | $73,760 |
| Kentucky | $68,460 |
| Maine | $82,440 |
| Maryland | $92,880 |
| Massachusetts | $88,000 |
| Michigan | $77,670 |
| Missouri | $76,670 |
| Montana | $81,330 |
| Nebraska | $62,170 |
| Nevada | $85,140 |
| New Hampshire | $71,500 |
| New Jersey | $95,020 |
| New Mexico | $71,990 |
| New York | $87,360 |
| North Carolina | $83,420 |
| Ohio | $63,790 |
| Oklahoma | $64,370 |
| Oregon | $73,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,130 |
| Rhode Island | $85,420 |
| South Dakota | $70,620 |
| Tennessee | $95,250 |
| Texas | $89,220 |
| Utah | $94,430 |
| Vermont | $69,740 |
| Virginia | $81,380 |
| Washington | $76,720 |
| Wisconsin | $69,520 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as landscape architects about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 100% use email every day
- 90% spend more than half the workday sitting
- 85% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 84% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 75% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 65% are on the phone every day
- 65% usually work more than 40 hours a week
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 85% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 10% |
| Master's degree | 5% |
Tools and Software Landscape Architects Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as analyzing problems and working with ideas.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Coordination.
Knowledge areas used most: Design, Building and Construction, Geography, Engineering and Technology, English Language.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 4 of 5, which means considerable preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
Applying for a Landscape Architect Job
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 17-1012.00 (Landscape Architects). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.