How to hire landscape architects
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze data on conditions such as site location, drainage, or structure location for environmental reports or landscaping plans. • Collaborate with architects or related professionals on whole building design to maximize the aesthetic features of structures or surrounding land and to improve energy efficiency. • Confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects. • Inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, evaluate quality of materials or work, or advise clients or construction personnel. • Inspect proposed sites to identify structural elements of land areas or other important site information, such as soil condition, existing landscaping, or the proximity of water management facilities. • Integrate existing land features or landscaping into designs. • Prepare graphic representations or drawings of proposed plans or designs. • Prepare site plans, specifications, or cost estimates for land development. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, reading comprehension, speaking, critical thinking, writing and active learning skills • Working knowledge of design, building and construction, geography and engineering and technology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $38.40 an hour ($79,870 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for landscape architects
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze data on conditions such as site location, drainage, or structure location for environmental reports or landscaping plans. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to collaborate with architects or related professionals on whole building design to maximize the aesthetic features of structures or surrounding land and to improve energy efficiency. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, evaluate quality of materials or work, or advise clients or construction personnel. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What landscape architects do
- Analyze data on conditions such as site location, drainage, or structure location for environmental reports or landscaping plans.
- Collaborate with architects or related professionals on whole building design to maximize the aesthetic features of structures or surrounding land and to improve energy efficiency.
- Confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects.
- Inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, evaluate quality of materials or work, or advise clients or construction personnel.
- Inspect proposed sites to identify structural elements of land areas or other important site information, such as soil condition, existing landscaping, or the proximity of water management facilities.
- Integrate existing land features or landscaping into designs.
- Prepare graphic representations or drawings of proposed plans or designs.
- Prepare site plans, specifications, or cost estimates for land development.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for landscape architects
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Training on the job: Internship/residency (BLS)
- Job outlook: +4.4% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 1,700 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay landscape architects
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $98,380 |
| Maryland | $92,880 |
| Texas | $89,220 |
| Massachusetts | $88,000 |
| New York | $87,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,130 |
| Washington | $76,720 |
| Illinois | $67,460 |
See landscape architects pay in every state
Related hiring guides
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.