What does a Landscape Architect do?

A Landscape Architect creates plans that give rise to visually appealing, functional public parks, playgrounds, gardens, housing plans, residential housing developments, college campuses, industrial parks, rooftop gardens and other outdoor spaces. By using environmental data to guide their plans, they help protect the environment from the potential negative effects of development. In addition, their plans reduce the risk of structures being damaged due to natural effects like water accumulation and erosion. Their work may also improve accessibility, ensuring that individuals with disabilities can safely navigate them. 

Landscape Architect skills and qualifications

Quality candidates for Landscape Architect positions will possess certain qualifications. Some skills you may want to call out in your landscape architecture job description include:

• Creative thinking ability to devise site plans

• Interviewing skills to learn about clients’ needs

• Problem-solving skills to revise plans and overcome obstacles to planning sites

• Verbal communication skills to interact with clients, coworkers and construction professionals

• Robust knowledge of plant and soil science, ecology and construction

• Familiarity with computer-aided drafting, spreadsheet, email and graphic design software

• Observational skills to spot unique characteristics of sites and conduct inspections

• Time management skills to complete plans by deadlines

Landscape Architect experience requirements

How much experience a Landscape Architect needs to succeed depends on the nature of your open position. If your firm or organization employs multiple Landscape Architects, you may wish to hire a recent graduate with little to no experience to work as a Landscape Architect Intern or Analyst. Interns usually assist more experienced Landscape Architects with analyzing site data and drafting and rarely work independently. If you will only have one architect on staff, you may instead wish to list three or more years of work experience as a requirement in your Landscape Architect job description.

Landscape Architect education and training requirements

Per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, prospective Landscape Architects must obtain a state license before working in the field. Although each state has its own licensing requirements, candidates must typically complete a degree program approved by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) and then pass the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) Landscape Architect Registration Examination (LARE). The majority of Landscape Architects hold bachelor’s degrees, but some approved programs do award master’s degrees.

As you review resumes, you may wish to prioritize candidates who hold CLARB certification. These individuals have met experience and training requirements and maintained a landscape architecture license in good standing. CLARB certification is often necessary for Landscape Architects who need to be licensed to work in multiple states. 

Landscape Architect salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Landscape Architect is $74,808 per year. How much candidates can expect to earn depends on their geographic location, education, experience and certification status.

Job description samples for similar positions

If the landscaping architecture job description discussed above doesn’t fully capture your business needs, consider these related positions:

• Architect

• Landscaper

• Environmental Engineer

Landscape Architect job description FAQs

What’s the difference between a Landscape Architect and Landscape Designer?

A Landscape Designer determines which landscaping features, like trees and shrubs, will look most attractive in various settings. They primarily work on smaller projects, such as designing the front lawns and backyards of homes. A Landscape Architect is usually responsible for determining building placement and selecting landscaping features and is generally focused on larger projects, such as public spaces and corporate and university campuses.

What’s the difference between a Landscape Architect and a Landscaper?

A Landscaper is a laborer who is responsible for planting and caring for grasses, shrubbery and trees, while a Landscape Architect determines where these natural features will be placed in relation to structures on a site. In many cases, Landscapers follow plans created by Landscape Architects when executing their work.

How do I make my landscaping architecture job description stand out?

To make your Landscape Architect job description stand out from competitors, begin with a bulleted list of the key benefits of working for your organization. You can mention things like insurance, reimbursement for continuing education coursework and paid time off. In addition, describe the types of projects that your organization takes on so candidates can determine if the nature of the work is in line with their interests.