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How to become a landscape architect

Engineering & architecture · SOC 17-1012

$79,870US median pay, 2025
+4.4%Projected growth, 2025–35
1,700Openings per year
DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

  1. Bachelor's degree
  2. Internship/residency
  3. Work as a landscape architect

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

ProgramCodeSchools
Landscape ArchitectureCIP 04.060160
Environmental Design/ArchitectureCIP 04.040138

See the 84 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a landscape architect?
Typically about four years for the degree, then an internship or residency, often one to three years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do landscape architects make?
The US median is $79,870 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a landscape architect?
Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train to become a landscape architect?
84 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

Related careers in Engineering & architecture

Industrial engineers · Civil engineers · Mechanical engineers · Electrical engineers · Architectural and civil drafters · Engineers, all other · Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians · Architects, except landscape and naval