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.

Most important skills

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

Key knowledge

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

What the work involves

Prepare graphic representations or drawings of proposed plans or designs.
Collaborate with architects or related professionals on whole building design to maximize the aesthetic features of structures or surrounding land and to improve energy efficiency.
Create landscapes that minimize water consumption such as by incorporating drought-resistant grasses or indigenous plants.
Design and integrate rainwater harvesting or gray and reclaimed water systems to conserve water into building or land designs.
Identify and select appropriate sustainable materials for use in landscape designs, such as recycled wood or recycled concrete boards for structural elements or recycled tires for playground bedding.
Confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects.
Prepare site plans, specifications, or cost estimates for land development.
Analyze data on conditions such as site location, drainage, or structure location for environmental reports or landscaping plans.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Artistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Bachelor's Degree (85% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (36.8%)
On-the-job training: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (35%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Landscape Architects is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Low	Lower on contact with others than 72% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time”
Dealing with the public	Moderate	Higher on dealing with the public than 59% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 63% of occupations compared	63% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Very low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 81% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Lower on time pressure than 51% of occupations compared	60% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Low	Lower on conflict situations than 63% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 61% of occupations compared	50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Low	Lower on consequence of error than 77% of occupations compared	40% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
Consequence of error: low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions