Landscape architect
Design and create spaces for plants and wildlife to make towns and cities healthier and more attractive places to live.
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£385
Entry level
£865
Experienced
Monthly
£1,667
Entry level
£3,750
Experienced
Yearly
£20,000
Entry level
£45,000
Experienced
4,200
people are currently employed
High growth
400 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would design and create spaces for plants and wildlife to make towns and cities healthier and more attractive places to live.
You might work on public parks, green spaces in cities, housing developments or wildlife conservation areas. You’d be protecting the environment and supporting people’s health and wellbeing.
You’d use your creative skills, and your technical and scientific knowledge to plan and design the site. You’d organise the work to create the landscape.
You would:
Meet with clients to discuss their needs
Visit and survey the site to look at existing plant and animal life, and natural resources
Get the views of local residents, businesses and other people who use the site
Use computer-aided design (CAD) packages to draw up ideas for clients
Present your design ideas to clients
Draw up contracts and manage the tendering process for contractors
Write reports and do environmental impact assessments
Give evidence to public enquiries
Monitor the progress of projects
There are five areas you could work in as a landscape architect:
Landscape design
Landscape management
Landscape science
Landscape planning
Urban design
You might work across one or two of these areas or you may specialise in just one of them.
You will work closely with landscape contractors and other professionals such as architects, town planners, surveyors, civil engineers and environmental campaigners.
Hours
Environment
Travel
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Like the sound of this career?
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Landscape architect'
Select qualification level(s)
Other careers that you might like
Architect
Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Construction and built environment
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- working with numbers
- creative
- designing
- cooperating
- verbal communication
- working with technology
- attention to detail
- developing a plan
- taking responsibility
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Art and Design
Biology
Design and Manufacture
Environmental Science
Geography
Skills for Work: Rural Skills
You would need a degree (SCQF level 9/10) or postgraduate qualification (SCQF level 11) recognised by the Landscape institute.
To entry a BA Hons (SCQF level 10) Landscape Architecture you will need National 5 qualifications and four Highers (SCQF level 6) at BBBB to AABB.
Entry into a postgraduate course (MLA) will require a first or second class honours degree (SCQF level 10) in a relevant subject such as geography, planning or ecology.
Edinburgh University offers the only degree course in Scotland.
Qualifications and experience that demonstrates design and planning abilities and familiarity with computer-aided design packages will be of value.
Once in a job you will undertake a period of mentored training while working towards the Pathway to Chartership (P2C).
Explore over 22,000 courses in Scotland
Find the perfect course to boost your career.
