Who Earns What

How much does a landscape architect make?

US Landscape Architects
$79,870

a year · about $38 an hour

A typical landscape architect in the United States makes $79,870 a year, about $38 an hour, about 1.6× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

What do they do?

They spend much of the day at a computer drawing parks, gardens, or playgrounds and meeting clients. On site visits, they check the land, drainage, and whether construction follows the plan.

Did you know? Some landscape architects design green roofs—roofs covered with soil and plants that can soak up rainwater, absorb air pollution, and cool buildings.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know
This job$79,870
Typical worker$50,980
Elementary teacher$63,970
Doctor$244,180
Cashier$32,880

If 100 people had this job

Most earn between $54,770 and $130,190
50 of 100
more than half

How do you become one?

In the U.S., most earn a landscape architecture bachelor’s degree after four or five years; a different bachelor’s degree can lead to a related master’s program. Then they gain supervised experience, pass the LARE, and meet state licensing rules.

School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree

Good for people who like building and doing and figuring things out

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can depend on experience, having a license, the kind of employer or industry, and where someone works. Projects with more complex tasks or responsibility may also pay differently.

Where does it pay most?

Highest in California ($98,380), lowest in Illinois ($67,460).

See every state
Whole US$79,870
California$98,380
Maryland$92,880
Texas$89,220
Massachusetts$88,000
New York$87,360
Pennsylvania$77,130
Washington$76,720
Illinois$67,460

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

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Who earns more?
Data table and sources
Landscape architect pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$54,770$79,870$130,190about 20,000
States where landscape architects earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
California$98,380about 2,000
Maryland$92,880about 870
Texas$89,220about 1,000
Massachusetts$88,000about 500
New York$87,360about 920

Official definition: 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.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY