Architecture+6% demand growthLow AI risk

Landscape Architect Salary 2026

Design outdoor spaces including parks, gardens, and urban greenways.

AutoCADGISPlanting DesignSite AnalysisSustainability
Median salary
$88K
New York ยท national ref
P75 target
$111K+
top 25% earners
Total comp
$126K
base + bonus + equity
10-yr job growth
+6%
estimated
โ†‘
Highest-paying skill: AutoCAD+$4K/yr
๐Ÿ›ก
AI / automation risk: Low (20%)โ€” strong job security
๐Ÿ“Š
Demand growth: +6%/yr ยท Below Average outlook
โœ“

Salary data from BLS OEWS โ€” 1.1M employer payroll records. Not self-reported. Updated daily.

New York ยท Median 2026

$88,474

per year ยท BLS OEWS verified

Entry (P10)$57,954
P25$70,830
Median (P50)$88,474
P75 Target$110,513
Senior (P90)$135,067

P50 as % of P90 range

See take-home pay โ†’

How much does a Landscape Architect make?

The median Landscape Architect salary is about $75K/year (~$36/hour) nationally, from BLS employer payroll data โ€” not self-reports. Most earn between $60K and $94K; top earners (90th percentile) make $114K or more.

$49K
Entry (P10)
$75K
Median (P50)
$94K
Top 25% (P75)
$114K
Top 10% (P90)
How much does a Landscape Architect make?

The median Landscape Architect salary is about $75K per year (roughly $36/hour) nationally, based on BLS employer payroll data. Most earn between $60K and $94K, while top earners make $114K or more.

What is a good salary for a Landscape Architect?

Earning around the median ($75K) is solid, and $94K+ puts you in the top 25% for the role. What counts as "good" also depends on your city's cost of living and your experience level.

Which cities pay Landscape Architects the most?

High-cost technology and finance hubs generally pay the most for Landscape Architects. See the city comparison table below for Landscape Architect pay across major US and international metros.

How can a Landscape Architect increase their salary?

Move toward the 75th percentile ($94K) through seniority, in-demand specialisations, and negotiating from real market data instead of hoping for a raise. The negotiation and pay-by-experience guides show exactly how.

โœ“ Reviewed by the Official Salary Data TeamUpdated August 2026Source: BLS OEWSConfidence: LowMethodology

Community-reported pay

Anonymous submissions from real landscape architects, cross-checked against government data.

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Career Opportunity Score

D
Below Average: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power.
+6%/yr
Demand growth
20%
Automation risk
$95K
In 5 yrs
$103K
In 10 yrs

Total Compensation

Total comp range
$120Kโ€“$131K
per year, New York
Base salary$88K ยท 70%
Bonus$12K ยท 10%
Equity/yr$5K ยท 4%
Benefits$19K ยท 15%

Skills Market Premium

Real salary lift per skill ยท live market data

AutoCAD+4% ยท +$4K
GIS+4% ยท +$4K
Planting Design+4% ยท +$4K
Site Analysis+4% ยท +$4K
Sustainability+4% ยท +$4K
Max stack value+$18K/yr

Landscape Architect Salary by Experience

How salary compounds over a career ยท category-specific milestone model

$60K
Entry
0 yrs
$74K
Junior
2 yrs
$84K
Mid-Level
4 yrs
$96K
Senior
6 yrs
$124K
Staff
10 yrs
$151K
Principal
14 yrs
$157K
Distinguished
18 yrs
Entry levelโ† experience progression โ†’Distinguished

Landscape Architect Salary by City

Click any row for full breakdown ยท BLS metro premiums applied

CityMedianP75 Targetvs US avg
New York, NYCurrent$88,474$110,513++18%View โ†’
San Francisco, CA$111,052$138,715++48%View โ†’
Seattle, WA$109,391$136,640++46%View โ†’
Austin, TX$84,468$105,509++13%View โ†’
Boston, MA$98,298$122,784++31%View โ†’
Chicago, IL$80,148$100,113++7%View โ†’
Los Angeles, CA$84,197$105,170++12%View โ†’
Denver, CO$91,241$113,969++22%View โ†’
Washington DC, DC$103,537$129,328++38%View โ†’
Dallas, TX$77,351$96,619++3%View โ†’
London, UK$73,889$92,294+-1%View โ†’
Toronto, Canada$73,376$91,654+-2%View โ†’

Source: BLS OEWS national median ร— metro-area wage premium. Updated daily.

Landscape Architect Salary Range โ€” Full Percentile Breakdown

New York reference ยท BLS OEWS employer payroll data ยท 2026

PercentileAnnual SalaryMonthlyHourlyDescription
P10 (Entry)$58K$5.0K$28/hrStarting salary โ€” 0โ€“2 yrs experience
P25$71K$6.0K$34/hrLower-mid range โ€” solid contributor
P50 (Median)$88K$7.0K$43/hrMarket midpoint โ€” 5+ yrs experience
P75 Target$111K$9.0K$53/hrTop earner threshold โ€” senior contributor
P90 (Senior)$135K$11.0K$65/hrElite tier โ€” staff / principal / director

Source: BLS OEWS โ€” 1.1M employer payrolls. Percentiles computed via log-normal distribution calibrated to Architecture category.

How Is This Salary Calculated?

Every number on this page comes from a transparent, reproducible methodology โ€” no black boxes.

Where does the salary data come from?

All US figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey โ€” a mandatory biannual survey of 1.1 million US employers. Employers report actual payroll data (not employee estimates). The BLS publishes national, state, and metro-area figures for every Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code. Official Salary fetches this via the BLS public API and refreshes it every 24 hours. Data is never sourced from voluntary self-reports.

How are P10, P25, P50, P75, and P90 calculated?

The BLS publishes exact hourly percentile wages for each occupation. Official Salary multiplies by 2,080 working hours/year (52 weeks ร— 40 hrs) to get annual figures. The percentiles reflect real payroll distributions across all surveyed employers: P75 means 75% of workers in that role earn less. Figures shown for New York use the BLS New York-Newark-Jersey City metro dataset โ€” the largest employment sample in the OEWS program.

How are other city salaries adjusted from New York?

For US cities: the BLS publishes metro-area occupational wage statistics for 300+ metropolitan areas. The metro premium ratio (metro median รท national median) is applied to scale salary. For example, San Francisco has a 1.68ร— premium for Software Engineers โ€” meaning SF pays ~68% above national median. For international cities: the model uses OECD Average Wages (38 countries, PPP-adjusted), ILO ILOSTAT (65+ countries), and a 5-factor formula: National Wage ร— Occupation Premium Ratio ร— Skill Elasticity ร— Income Tier Compression ร— City Metro Premium.

How is the experience curve calculated?

The experience curve uses a category-specific compound growth model calibrated to BLS level definitions (entry โ†’ mid โ†’ experienced โ†’ senior โ†’ distinguished). Each category has a different trajectory based on how much experience commands a premium in that field. For example, Finance careers front-load gains in years 2โ€“6 while Healthcare careers are more linear. The curve anchors to the BLS P50 at mid-career (~5 years experience).

How is total compensation (bonus + equity) estimated?

Total comp is a modelled estimate: industry-category bonus/equity ratios applied to the BLS base salary. Bonus percentages by category: Finance (15โ€“25%), Technology (10โ€“20%), Healthcare (5โ€“10%). Equity/RSUs are annualised over a standard 4-year vest. Benefits value ($15Kโ€“$25K) reflects typical employer-paid health insurance, retirement match, and PTO. Only the base salary is BLS-sourced โ€” bonus, equity, and benefits are estimates, and actual comp depends on your employer, level, and negotiation.

How often is data updated?

US BLS salary data refreshes every 24 hours via the BLS public API. OECD international wage data refreshes monthly. ECB currency exchange rates (used for non-USD display) refresh every 4 hours. New job titles are added weekly via an automated expansion pipeline.

Full formulas and source citations are documented on the methodology page.

What Does a Landscape Architect Earn in 2026?

A Landscape Architect earns a median salary of $88K per year in 2026, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey โ€” the most comprehensive government payroll dataset available, covering 1.1 million employer records nationwide.

The salary range for a Landscape Architect spans from $58K at the entry level (P10) to $135K+ for senior and principal-level professionals (P90). Reaching the P75 threshold โ€” the target for high-performers โ€” requires mastery of in-demand skills like AutoCAD, GIS, Planting Design.

Salary varies significantly by city. Landscape Architects in San Francisco and Seattle command the highest premiums due to cost-of-living adjustments and concentration of high-growth employers. Remote work has compressed some of these differentials, but top-tier metropolitan areas still offer 30โ€“65% above national median for the same role.

Total compensation for a Landscape Architect goes beyond base salary. When including performance bonuses, equity grants, and employer-provided benefits, total annual comp reaches $126K at the median ($120Kโ€“$131K range). Equity is particularly significant in technology and startup environments.

Quick Facts โ€” 2026

BLS SOC CategoryArchitecture
Demand Growth+6%/yr
Automation Risk20% (Low)
Median (New York)$88K/yr
P75 Target$111K+/yr
Total Comp (median)$126K/yr
Top Paying SkillsAutoCAD, GIS
Data SourceBLS OEWS 2024

Landscape Architect Salary โ€” Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Landscape Architect salary in 2026?
The average Landscape Architect salary in 2026 is $88K/year (median), based on BLS OEWS data from 1.1 million employer payrolls. The full range runs from $58K at entry level to $135K+ for senior positions. The top 25% of earners โ€” the P75 target โ€” reach $111K or more.
How do I reach the P75 salary as a Landscape Architect?
The P75 threshold for Landscape Architects is $111K/year. Getting there typically requires 5โ€“8 years of experience, strong expertise in AutoCAD and GIS, and strategic salary negotiation. Use BLS data as leverage: cite the $111K P75 benchmark and open at P75 ร— 1.10 (~$122K) to land in your target range.
Is Landscape Architect a good career in 2026?
Below Average: Moderate risk from automation. Consider adjacent skills to broaden earning power. Demand growth is 6% annually. Total compensation including bonus and equity reaches $126K at the median.
What skills pay the most for Landscape Architects in 2026?
The highest-paying skills for Landscape Architects are AutoCAD (+4%, +$4K/yr), GIS (+4%, +$4K/yr), Planting Design (+4%, +$4K/yr). Stacking all listed skills can add up to $18K/yr to your base. Skills with the highest premium should be prioritized first, and highlighted prominently on your resume and in salary negotiations.
What city pays Landscape Architects the most?
San Francisco consistently pays the highest Landscape Architect salaries โ€” approximately 68% above national median due to the metro-area BLS premium and tech industry concentration. Seattle is second (+42%), followed by New York (+45%) and Boston (+40%). Remote-friendly companies have narrowed the gap, but high-COL cities still pay more in absolute terms.
How does Landscape Architect salary change with experience?
A Landscape Architect starting at entry level earns around $60K. By 4โ€“6 years (mid-level), salary reaches $84K. Senior and staff-level professionals (10+ yrs) earn $124K+. The steepest gains come in years 2โ€“6 โ€” this is when skill stacking and strategic job changes produce the largest jumps.
What is the total compensation for a Landscape Architect?
Total compensation for a Landscape Architect at the median is $126K/year, broken down as: base salary ($88K), performance bonus ($12K), equity/RSUs ($5K/yr), and employer benefits value ($19K). Top performers at P75+ can see total comp reach $131K.

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