Landscape Designer Job Description

Function

• A landscape architect or designer uses natural outdoor elements to create an aesthetically pleasing space which is also often functional. He designs gardens, parks, malls, playgrounds and other outdoor areas. He works with building architects and engineers to determine the placement of structures, roads and walkways. He also helps plan and design the restoration of wetlands and forests.

Education

• Most states require a license for landscape architects. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2009 the American Society of Landscape Architects through its Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board listed 67 colleges and universities with accredited landscape architecture undergraduate and graduate programs. These four- to five-year undergraduate programs result in a bachelor of landscape architecture (BLA) or a bachelor of science in landscape architecture (BSLA) degree.

Potential

• BLS states that in 2008, there were approximately 26,700 landscape architects with a median income of $58,960. The bureau predicts that the field will grow by 20 percent through 2018, "but new graduates may face competition for jobs in the largest and most prestigious landscape architecture firms."