Landscape Architects

Employment for landscape architects is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2028, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Although job opportunities are expected to be good, there will be strong competition for employment at top firms. The increase in demand for landscape architects is a result of several factors: growth of new construction and the redevelopment of existing sites, the availability of government funding for surface transportation and transit programs (such as pedestrian and bicycle trails and interstate highway construction and maintenance), growing public interest in green building practices such as green roofs, and the increase in city and environmental planning and historic preservation. Many job openings are expected to result from the need to replace experienced workers who leave the field. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that, in the future, landscape architects will be needed to help "conserve water and prevent waterway pollution."

The need for landscape architecture depends to a great extent on the construction industry. In the event of an economic downturn, when real estate transactions and the construction business is expected to drop off, opportunities for landscape architects will also dwindle.

Opportunities will be the greatest for workers who develop strong technical skills. The growing use of technology such as computer-aided design will not diminish the demand for landscape architects. New and improved techniques will be used to create better designs more efficiently rather than reduce the number of workers needed to do the job.