Summary Report for:
17-1012.00 - Landscape Architects
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.
Sample of reported job titles:
Landscape Architect, Project Manager, Golf Course Architect, Land Planner, Designer, Landscape Designer, Planner
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
Tasks
- Confer with clients, engineering personnel, and architects on overall program.
- Prepare site plans, specifications, and cost estimates for land development, coordinating arrangement of existing and proposed land features and structures.
- Seek new work opportunities through marketing, writing proposals or giving presentations.
- Inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, approve quality of materials and work, and advise client and construction personnel.
- Prepare graphic representations or drawings of proposed plans or designs.
- Compile and analyze data on conditions such as location, drainage, and location of structures for environmental reports and landscaping plans.
- Collaborate with architects or related professionals on whole building design to maximize the aesthetic features of structures or surrounding land and to improve energy efficiency.
- Create landscapes that minimize water consumption such as by incorporating drought-resistant grasses or indigenous plants.
- Design and integrate rainwater harvesting or gray and reclaimed water systems to conserve water into building or land designs.
- Identify and select appropriate sustainable materials for use in landscape designs, such as using recycled wood or recycled concrete boards for structural elements or recycled tires for playground bedding.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Digital camcorders or video cameras — Digital camcorders |
| Digital cameras |
| Global positioning system receivers — Global positioning system GPS devices |
| Notebook computers — Laptop computers |
| Scanners — Computer scanners |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Computer aided design CAD software — Autodesk AutoCAD software; Bentley Microstation; Coyote Software DynaSCAPE Design; Google SketchUp software |
| Desktop publishing software — Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign |
| Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook |
| Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator; Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop software; Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite; McNeel Rhino software |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
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Knowledge
| Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models. |
| Building and Construction — Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. |
| English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Geography — Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life. |
| Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services. |
| Public Safety and Security — Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions. |
| Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. |
| Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
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Skills
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
| Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design. |
| Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
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Abilities
| Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged. |
| Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
| Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways. |
| Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem. |
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Work Activities
| Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment — Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used. |
| Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
| 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. |
| Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. |
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Work Context
| Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
| Electronic Mail — How often do you use electronic mail in this job? |
| Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? |
| Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
| Letters and Memos — How often does the job require written letters and memos? |
| Duration of Typical Work Week — Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? |
| Time Pressure — How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
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Job Zone
| Title |
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed |
| Education |
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. |
| Related Experience |
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified. |
| Job Training |
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. |
| Job Zone Examples |
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents. |
| SVP Range |
(7.0 to < 8.0) |
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Education
Percentage of Respondents |
Education Level Required |
83   |
Bachelor's degree |
| 10 |
Doctoral or professional degree |
| 7 |
Master's degree |
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Interests
Interest code: AIR
| Artistic — Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules. |
| Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally. |
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
| Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. |
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Work Styles
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. |
| Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. |
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Work Values
| Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. |
| Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
| Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
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Related Occupations
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Wages & Employment Trends
National
| Median wages (2012) |
$30.86 hourly, $64,180 annual |
| Employment (2010) |
22,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2010-2020) |
Average (10% to 19%)
|
| Projected job openings (2010-2020) |
7,800 |
| Top industries (2010) |
|
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012 wage data
and 2010-2020 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
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Job Openings on the Web
Find Jobs
for Landscape Architects
State & National Job Banks
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Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer:
Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries.
Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
- Landscape Architects
. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition.
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