Landscape designers design public and private areas, including parks, playgrounds, golf courses, business complex grounds, residential properties, etc. People who enter this line of work don’t just plant plants and mow lawns, though. They spend most of their time creating designs, researching, preparing cost estimates and models, and observing or overseeing landscape construction rather than physically carrying out the construction themselves.
Online Education Options for Degrees in Landscape Design
Although many people get their start in landscaping by taking care of their own property or with a summer job mowing lawns, those who plan to make landscape design a career typically earn a degree in landscape design, which is usually a division of landscape architecture programs.
Those who pursue an online degree in landscape design can expect to take courses in art, biology, construction techniques, ecology, engineering, horticulture, landscape design, plant and site design, soil science, surveying, and urban and regional planning. Course work also usually includes lab work and outside assignments to aide in the development of a portfolio, and apprenticeships and internships are highly recommended.
Online education options in landscape design include the following:
- Online Certification in Landscape Design
Degrees in Landscape Design Career and Salary Information
Landscape designers are more than twice as likely to be self-employed than people in other fields. However, positions are available in the public and private sector, and people who hold a landscape design degree often find themselves employed by building complexes (eg., college and medical campuses), golf courses, public parks, amusement parks, etc.
A landscape design degree salary can vary widely in the field based on factors like geographic location and whether or not a person is employed by a company or is self-employed. Median annual wages based on years of experience break down as follows: 1-4 years, $30,181-$43,384 ($800 annual bonus); 5-9 years, $34,422-$49,493 ($1035 annual bonus); 10-19 years, $34,898-$55,029 ($1014 annual bonus); 20+ years, $41,680-$60,200 ($4880 annual bonus).
Although landscape design employment opportunities are available in all major cities and most smaller towns, the following cities are the most popular for people seeking a career in this field: Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City, Sacramento, and St. Louis.