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Landscape Architects

Employment Prospects

Employers

There are about 25,800 landscape architects employed in the United States. Approximately 46 percent of landscape architects are employed in architectural, engineering, and related services. Seven percent work for federal, state, and local governments. Federal agencies that employing landscape architects include the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Transportation, Soil Conservation Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Veteran's Administration, among others. Landscape architects work in every state in the United States, in small towns and cities as well as heavily populated areas. Some work in rural areas, such as those who plan and design parks and recreational areas. However the majority of positions are found in suburban and urban areas.

Landscape architects work for a variety of different employers in both the public and private sectors. They may work with a school board planning a new elementary or high school, with manufacturers developing a new factory and its grounds, with homeowners improving the land surrounding their home, or with a city council planning a new suburban development.

In the private sector, most landscape architects do some residential work, though few limit themselves entirely to projects with individual homeowners. Larger commercial or community projects are usually more profitable. Workers in the public sector plan and design government buildings, parks, and public lands. They also may conduct studies on environmental issues and restore lands such as mines or landfills.

Starting Out

After graduating from a landscape architecture program, you can usually receive job assistance from your school's career placement service. Although these services do not guarantee a job, they can be of great help in making initial contacts. Many positions are posted by the American Society of Landscape Architects in its journal, Landscape Architecture (https://www.asla.org/lamsubscription.aspx), as well as on its Web site. Government positions are normally filled through civil service examinations. Information regarding vacancies may be obtained through the local, state, or federal civil service commissions.

Most new hires are often referred to as interns or apprentices until they have gained initial experience in the field and have passed the necessary examinations. Apprentices' duties vary by employer; some handle background project research, others are directly involved in planning and design. Whatever their involvement, all new hires work under the direct supervision of a licensed landscape architect. All drawings and plans must be signed and sealed by the licensed supervisor for legal purposes.

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