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Landscape Architects

Under the title Landscape Architects, workers 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. A regular part of the work is to confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects. With a code of RIA, this is mostly a job for people drawn to hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. Investigative interests also help, rated 4.7 out of 7. Plan on a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience; O*NET labels this considerable preparation. Strength in speaking, reading comprehension, and active listening helps most here. It tends to suit people who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, and it offers little for anyone seeking helping, teaching or caring for people.

What they 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.

Main tasks

  • 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.
  • Integrate existing land features or landscaping into 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.

Skills

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Analysis

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
  • You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
  • You are comfortable relying on speaking and reading comprehension.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RIA takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • AP BD+C (Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction)
  • Golf Course Architect
  • Land Planner
  • Landscape Architect
  • Landscape Designer

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This page includes information from the 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.