I get my kids to school. I set my assistant up with her work for the day. We run through the active projects and deadlines. I go out to a jobsite to layout plants and check in with contractors. I make phone calls and emails. I work on project design. I source materials for jobs. I work with my assistant on SketchUp models. I review CAD plans. I review project bids. I taxi kids to practices. I make dinner. I work on design at night, when everything is quiet and I can finally think creatively.
CAREER
Landscape Architects
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$70,630
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
-2.4% (decline)
Most Common Level of Education
Bachelor's degree
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Landscape Architects 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.
Other Job Titles Landscape Architects May Have
AP BD+C (Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction), Architect, Golf Course Architect, Land Planner, Landscape Architect, Landscape Designer, Landscape Planner, Park Planner, Planner, Professional Landscape Architect (PLA)
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Prepare graphic representations or drawings of proposed plans or designs.
- Integrate existing land features or landscaping into designs.
- Confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects.
- Inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, evaluate quality of materials or work, or advise clients or construction personnel.
- Analyze data on conditions such as site location, drainage, or structure location for environmental reports or landscaping plans.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Landscape Architects
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (59%)
Some college, no degree
Bachelor's degree
Master's degree
Other*
*All other responses combined for clarity.
Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
Bachelor
Graphic Design
Graduate
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
Work with the trades in the field, either in a nursery, with a landscape installation company, or in a construction company. Or, work with an architect or engineer.
Develop your own artistic ability. It is important to be able to draw your ideas out and be able to visualize them.
Learn all you can about plants. I learned all new plant palettes each place I lived.
Study architecture and architectural styles. Our work is an extension of the house or site's architecture.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
College Students
Research the skills needed in the profession and honestly assess yourself; do you see yourself developing those skills over time? Do you naturally have those skills?
Are you able to think creatively and logically at the same time? Are you confident enough to take a shred of an idea and develop it into a workable solution? Do you like working with all kinds of professionals as well as blue collar workers? Do you like getting your hands dirty? Are you ok if some things you design don't work?
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
