Occupation Profile for Landscape Architects

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Plan and design land areas for such projects as parks and other recreational facilities, airports, highways, hospitals, schools, land subdivisions, and commercial, industrial, and residential sites.

Signficant Points

  • Almost 19 percent of all landscape architects are self-employed—more than 2 times the proportion for all occupations.
  • 49 States require landscape architects to be licensed.
  • New graduates can expect to face competition for jobs in the largest and most prestigious landscape architecture firms, but there should be good job opportunities overall as demand for landscape architecture services increases.
 

Tasks

  • Core — Confer with clients, engineering personnel, and architects on overall program.
  • Core — Prepare site plans, specifications, and cost estimates for land development, coordinating arrangement of existing and proposed land features and structures.
  • Core — Compile and analyze data on conditions such as location, drainage, and location of structures for environmental reports and landscaping plans.
  • Core — Inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, approve quality of materials and work, and advise client and construction personnel.

Activities

  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.