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Engineering

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$79,870

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$55k – $130k

Job outlook

+4% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $99,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Landscape Architects

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Bachelor's degree

Plan my path to this →

How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$40,175–$150,500

Time to qualify

4.2 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Bachelor's degree

    Degree

    Four years at public in-state rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $11,610/yr, plus books. Private and out-of-state run higher; grant aid lowers most students' actual net price.

    $40,000–$150,000 · 4 years source

  2. 2

    FE exam (optional — PE track)

    Certification

    The Fundamentals of Engineering exam is the first step toward a PE license; many engineering roles never need it.

    $175–$500 · 2 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Landscape Architects" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Landscape Architects Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Landscape Architects

    Entry / Junior

    $54,770

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Landscape Architects

    Established

    $79,870

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Landscape Architects

    Senior

    $105,030

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Engineering

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.