# Landscape Architects

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/landscape-architects
- SOC code: 17-1012.00
- Career family: Architecture and engineering
- Median annual pay: $79,870 (10th percentile $54,770, 90th percentile $130,190)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +4.4%
- Openings a year: 1,700
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RIA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 74 |
| Investigative (I) | 62 |
| Artistic (A) | 61 |
| Social (S) | 28 |
| Enterprising (E) | 44 |
| Conventional (C) | 45 |

## What you'd do

- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment (importance 89/100)
- Getting Information (importance 88/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 88/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 83/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 79/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 79/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 78/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 74/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 73/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 71/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Analysis, Social Perceptiveness, Writing

## Knowledge

Design, Building and Construction, Geography, Engineering and Technology, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security, Biology, Administration and Management

## Also called

AP BD+C (Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction), Environmental Designer, Environmental Planner, Exterior Designer, Golf Course Architect, Golf Course Designer, Indoor Landscape Architect, Land Planner, Landscape Architect, Landscape Architect Project Manager

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Landscape Architecture](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0406) (CIP 0406, 70 colleges)
- [Environmental Design](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0404) (CIP 0404, 65 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Georgia](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-georgia-2912) | Landscape Architecture | $65,472 | $74,983 | $16,750 |
| [University of Rhode Island URI](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-rhode-island-uri-3025) | Landscape Architecture | $59,254 | $74,488 | not reported |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | Landscape Architecture | $64,744 | $73,729 | $20,000 |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Environmental Design | $61,866 | $69,851 | $27,943 |
| [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona-362) | Landscape Architecture | $53,606 | $69,790 | $16,750 |
| [California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo SLO](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo-slo-360) | Landscape Architecture | $61,551 | $68,795 | $19,500 |
| [Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College LSU](https://www.collegesref.com/college/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college-lsu-1541) | Landscape Architecture | not reported | $68,140 | not reported |
| [Purdue University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/purdue-university-main-campus-2163) | Landscape Architecture | $66,461 | $67,113 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Architects, Except Landscape and Naval](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architects-except-landscape-and-naval): $99,280 median pay
- [Environmental Restoration Planners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-restoration-planners): $82,220 median pay
- [Architectural and Civil Drafters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-civil-drafters): $66,150 median pay
- [Civil Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/civil-engineers): $100,840 median pay
- [Sustainability Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sustainability-specialists): $83,050 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-landscaping-lawn-service-and-groundskeeping-workers): $58,430 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.