Landscape Designer Training and Jobs
Schools and Degrees
Undergraduate professional degrees available for Landscape Designers are Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture. These four-year degrees can be earned in a variety of subjects like design, construction techniques, art, history and natural and social sciences. A Master of Landscape Architecture is also available for candidates who already hold an undergraduate degree. Licensing is based on the Landscape Architect Registration Examination, which is sponsored by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards.
Training and Education
A bachelor's degree is often necessary for working in the field. About 88% of landscape designers have earned a degree. Some college, below a 4-year degree, is sufficient for 10% of workers. Employees with only a high school education represent about 2% of all.
Job Overview
Landscape designers plan the location of buildings, roads and walkways. They also plan and design the restoration of natural places.
Landscape designers work for many types of organizations, from real estate development firms to municipalities. They work together with environmental scientists, foresters and other professionals to discover ways to conserve and restore natural resources and then make plans accordingly.
Job Requirements
Landscape designers are required to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscape designing. Landscape designers should possess strong analytical skills and enjoy working with their hands. They should also possess good oral communication and writing skills as they need to convey their ideas to professionals and clients. They should be comfortable working with CAD software for drafting and designing. Some employers prefer prospective landscape designers to undergo training with a professional landscape designer. Many states require some form of continuing education to maintain a license. This usually involves the completion of workshops, seminars, formal university classes, conferences, self-study courses or other classes. The Federal Government does not require its landscape designers to be licensed.
Nature of Work
Landscape designers keep in close touch with other professionals like civil engineers, hydrologists or architects, who are also involved in the project. Once the design is completed they prepare a proposal for the client. When the plans are approved, they prepare working drawings showing all existing and proposed features and then they monitor the implementation of the design.
Landscape designers spend their time in offices creating plans, designs, preparing models and doing research. The rest of their time is spent at sites. During the planning and designing stage, they visit and analyze sites to verify the usability of the designs, and after the designing is completed, they observe and supervise construction.Area Job Conditions
Landscape designers appear most common in York (Pennsylvania), San Luis Obispo (California), and Seattle (Washington), and least common in Fort Worth (Texas), Detroit (Michigan), and Las Vegas (Nevada).
Dallas (Texas), San Luis Obispo (California), and Riverside (California) offer the highest pay. Peoria (Illinois), Little Rock (Arkansas), and Tucson (Arizona) offer the lowest salaries.
Part-Time and Self Employment
Government statistics report that 6% of landscape designers are employed part-time. Workers who work for themselves total about 19%.
Career Videos
Landscape Designers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)
In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.
Alaska
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage | $69,000 | 30 | +95% |
Arizona
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | $65,000 | 350 | +107% |
California
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno | $81,000 | 60 | +99% |
| Los Angeles | $68,000 | 260 | -33% |
| Oakland | $78,000 | 200 | +109% |
| Oxnard | 110 | +293% | |
| Riverside | $81,000 | 110 | -5% |
| Sacramento | $83,000 | 210 | +153% |
| San Diego | $94,000 | 280 | +123% |
| San Francisco | $66,000 | 260 | +173% |
| San Jose | $117,000 | 240 | +179% |
| San Luis Obispo | $88,000 | 70 | +754% |
| Santa Ana | $72,000 | 260 | +86% |
| Santa Rosa | $78,000 | 50 | +212% |
Colorado
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | $75,000 | 260 | +117% |
Connecticut
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport | $97,000 | 70 | +73% |
| New Haven | $71,000 | 50 | +96% |
Delaware
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | $51,000 | 80 | +160% |
District of Columbia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $69,000 | 480 | +105% |
Florida
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | $62,000 | 180 | +170% |
| Jacksonville | 100 | +74% | |
| Miami | $79,000 | 110 | +17% |
| Orlando | $75,000 | 210 | +115% |
| Tampa | $71,000 | 130 | +18% |
Georgia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $54,000 | 550 | +147% |
Illinois
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $64,000 | 350 | -3% |
Indiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | $60,000 | 130 | +51% |
Iowa
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | $52,000 | 50 | +61% |
Kansas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $53,000 | 50 | +85% |
Kentucky
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington | $65,000 | 40 | +78% |
| Louisville | $53,000 | 80 | +38% |
Louisiana
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $59,000 | 110 | +212% |
Maryland
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | $70,000 | 400 | +217% |
| Bethesda | $85,000 | 130 | +135% |
Massachusetts
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town | $71,000 | 30 | +239% |
| Boston | $83,000 | 480 | +187% |
Michigan
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing | $61,000 | 50 | +172% |
| Warren | $61,000 | 40 | -61% |
Minnesota
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | $62,000 | 310 | +81% |
Missouri
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $54,000 | 150 | +54% |
Nebraska
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $63,000 | 70 | +56% |
Nevada
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas | $77,000 | 60 | -26% |
New Jersey
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edison | $54,000 | 120 | +22% |
| Newark | $72,000 | 70 | -27% |
| Trenton | $65,000 | 40 | +89% |
New Mexico
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | $53,000 | 40 | +9% |
New York
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | $75,000 | 80 | +86% |
| Buffalo | $55,000 | 60 | +14% |
| Nassau | $66,000 | 120 | -1% |
| New York | $67,000 | 470 | -6% |
| Rochester | $69,000 | 50 | +4% |
North Carolina
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | $65,000 | 80 | +389% |
| Charlotte | $70,000 | 130 | +58% |
| Durham | $66,000 | 40 | +54% |
| Raleigh | $59,000 | 180 | +265% |
Ohio
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $57,000 | 60 | -39% |
| Columbus | $57,000 | 120 | +36% |
| Toledo | $86,000 | 30 | +8% |
Oregon
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene | $54,000 | 50 | +290% |
Pennsylvania
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown | $56,000 | 40 | +22% |
| Harrisburg | 30 | -1% | |
| Lancaster | $63,000 | 30 | +36% |
| Philadelphia | $71,000 | 210 | +14% |
| York | $56,000 | 60 | +268% |
South Carolina
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $56,000 | 70 | +158% |
South Dakota
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $64,000 | 40 | +215% |
Texas
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth | $64,000 | 80 | -4% |
| Houston | $57,000 | 40 | -84% |
Utah
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City | $64,000 | 40 | -31% |
Virginia
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | $61,000 | 100 | +38% |
Washington
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $61,000 | 730 | +441% |
| Tacoma | $64,000 | 40 | +61% |
Wisconsin
| City and Area | Median Salary | Employees | Job Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $64,000 | 100 | +212% |
| Milwaukee | $68,000 | 110 | +38% |