Engineering and Architecture · Career brief

Landscape Architects

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Landscape Architects at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$79,870

Above the middle on pay

2025 national median. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for pay.

2Demand

4.4%

Steady projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

1,700

Relatively fewer openings

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is typically expected

Bachelor's degree. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Hands-on

Practical work with tools, systems, or physical environments

Confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

Training continues through internship/residency after the degree path.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if hands-on work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: Training continues through internship/residency after the degree path.

Before choosing, compare:Architect Civil Engineer Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Landscape Architects with another field Explore rankings in Engineering and Architecture Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$79,870

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

4.4%employment growth1,700openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Bachelor's degree; Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

23,500

A small national occupation; local availability may be uneven.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Landscape architects (17-1012).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects.
Analyze data on conditions such as site location, drainage, or structure location for environmental reports or landscaping plans.
Inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, evaluate quality of materials or work, or advise clients or construction personnel.
Prepare site plans, specifications, or cost estimates for land development.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

Training continues through internship/residency after the degree path.
This is a small national occupation (23,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment4.6
Getting Information4.5
Thinking Creatively4.5
Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3
Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.2

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Realistic5.4
Investigative4.7
Artistic4.7
Conventional3.7
Enterprising3.7
Social2.7

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Design Building and Construction Geography Engineering and Technology

Software and tools named in job postings

ESRI ArcGIS software Trimble SketchUp Pro Autodesk Revit Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Adobe Photoshop Adobe InDesign

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Complete a small design-build-test project with real constraints: measure, model, build or simulate, test, and revise after the first failure.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Landscape architects nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions. Examples of tools used in the occupation include ESRI ArcGIS software, Trimble SketchUp Pro, Autodesk Revit; check which ones employers near you actually require.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options