If you’re thinking of becoming a professional landscape designer, you’re probably wondering how much money the average landscape designer makes, and in what circumstances. It’s an important figure to know if you’re considering starting a new career or founding your own independent landscape design business. Let’s have a look at the numbers!
The average base salary for a landscape designer in the United States is currently $51,968, but income varies according to location, experience, employment status, and what’s known as “additional income.”
“Additional pay” comes from such sources as commission, cash bonuses, tips, and profit sharing. Let’s look at the average ranges for base pay, additional pay, and total pay.
Average Professional Landscape Designer Salary Ranges
| Base Pay | $40,000-68,000 |
| Bonus | $500-5,000 |
| Profit Sharing | $407-5,000 |
| Commission | $2,000-41,000 |
| Total Pay | $38,000-71,000 |
Factors such as geographic location, professional landscape designer experience and qualifications, and employment status (whether the landscape designer works for themselves or an employer) make a difference in pay. I’m going to detail what these factors may mean for your bottom line.
Starting Salary and Changes Over Time
According to data provided by Salary.com, a landscape designer’s salary tends to peak at about the six-year mark, and then level off. For example, a beginning landscape designer with two years of relevant job experience and an Associate degree may start at $62,694 which will gradually increase to $68,151 in about six years, all things being equal.
Another factor that influences salary is to whom one reports. Using the same landscape designer as in the above example, one who reports to a supervisor will make less than if they were reporting to a CEO/board or anyone in between such as a director or senior management.
The number of people a landscape designer manages affects the salary as well. A landscape designer with no crew to oversee predictably makes less than one who supervises a crew, with the salary increasing as the number of those supervise rises, at a rate of about $100 per additional person.
Formal education levels of professional landscape designers have a relatively negligible impact on their salary once they break into the market. For instance, a landscape designer with a Bachelor’s degree and six years of work experience makes only about $500 more per year on average than a landscape designer with an Associate degree. Likewise, more advanced degrees also see only nominal increases in salary potential.
The bottom line is that getting higher degrees in landscape design doesn’t offer a great return on investment– taking on more responsibilities and ‘climbing the ladder’ over time is what will maximize your earning potential.
Location, Location, Location
Where you live will influence how much you will get paid as a professional landscape designer. I’m going to give you the numbers from regions and major cities within them.
When comparing salaries in different parts of the country (or even cities within your state), it is important to also factor in that location’s cost of living using a tool like Payscale’s cost of living calculator. For this article, I have done just that, taking average reported base salaries from indeed.com and average costs of living from payscale.com.
Keep in mind, that base salaries do not include additional income, and base salaries provided are before taxes and other deductions are made.
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The Most Highly Paid
According to Indeed.com, the city with the highest-paid professional landscape designers in San Francisco, California, at an average reported salary of $90,766 per year—that is a whopping 46% above the national average. Of course, San Francisco is also ranked as the second-most expensive city to live in (behind New York City), with a cost of living 94% higher than the national average. That $91,000 won’t go nearly as far in San Francisco as it would almost anywhere else!
The West Coast
In general, according to landscape designers reporting their salaries, the western (and northeastern) states tend to pay more for landscape design than elsewhere, although the Los Angeles average is quite a bit less than its northerly neighbors, at $63,520. At $79,717, Portland, Oregon isn’t too far behind San Francisco, while Seattle clocks in ten-thousand dollars lower at $69,519.
The Midwest
The midwestern city with the highest-paid professional landscape designers is a more affordable place to call home. Des Moines, Iowa landscape designers report an average of $75,263 (21% above the national average) while their cost of living is a comfortable 14% below the national average! The vast majority of the Midwestern salaries tend to stay within the $50,000s.
Professional landscape designers in The Great Lakes cities of Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, and Buffalo report below-average salaries, at around $55,000, while Milwaukee does a little better at $61,878, the national average.
On the Great Plains, the further north one goes, so goes their salary! Landscape designers in Fargo, North Dakota indicate that $57,558, or 7% below the national average, is typical. Fargo is trailed by Lincoln, Nebraska ($54,877). In Kansas, the Sunflower State, Kansas City, and Wichita are both tied at about $52,370.
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The South
Houston is, by far, truly the “Lone Star” of the southern cities, with the best-reported salary in this large, 16-state region. Claiming an average salary of $72,690, Houston, Texas landscape designers are 17% above the national average! Houston also boasts a cost of living at 6% below than the national average.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, New Orleans salaries come in at the lowest around, with landscape designers there reporting an average of $42,469 (more than 30% below the national average) and a cost of living 12% higher than average. There is nothing easy about The Big Easy for professional landscape designers!
Of all the major southern cities on the eastern seaboard, only Atlanta landscape designers report a typical salary not below the national average, around $59,542.
In general, the typical salary reported for a landscape designer in any major southern city will be below average, roughly $53,500.
The Inland West
According to landscape designers of the desert southwest, the best-paying city is Phoenix at $75,000, with a cost of living 7% above the national average. Reno is your next best bet, at $72,200. At the low end are cities in New Mexico–Albuquerque ($49,745) and Santa Fe ($52,200). Salt Lake City is right in the middle at an average salary of around $65,000
In the Rockies, Bozeman, Montana landscape designers claim the best salaries, reporting a Rocky Mountain high of $78,607, while Boise is stuck at base camp, with the lowest reported average of the region, $46,667.
The Mid-Atlantic and New England
The cities of these two regions tend to pay above the national average, but the cost of living is also quite a bit higher in general. In the D.C. area, Alexandria, Virginia, and Silver Spring, Maryland report average salaries of $77,500. Baltimore is at the very low end, at $45,700.
New York City (with the highest cost of living of any U.S. city at 155% of the national average) pays just $74,022. Princeton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia both pay an average of about $62,000, according to area landscape designers.
In New England, landscape designers in Providence, Rhode Island make the highest salary, at a reported $76,723. Boston comes in second at $72,968, and Burlington, Vermont has the lowest average salary of the New England cities profiled here, at $55,900.
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Alaska and Hawaii
I did not forget our farther-flung fellow landscape designers! Hawaii pays salaries below average, around $56,000 in Honolulu, and less elsewhere.
Anchorage, Alaska landscape designers report their salaries are below average, at $57,644; Nome pays the national average at $59,662.
Employment Status
Whether you decide to begin your career working as an employee for a design firm or working for yourself as an independent contractor will make a difference in your income.
Those who choose to start as employees of landscaping firms will be at a strong advantage initially, with a predictable income. A landscape designer who works as an independent contractor may eventually make more on their own, but only after they have built up their clientele and proven themselves.
If you wish to become an independent contractor, the better plan is to start at a well-established design and build firm for a few years, then leave with an impressive portfolio, work experience, and contractor connections and blaze your trail.
Summary
When considering whether the salary of a professional landscape designer is right for your lifestyle, keep in mind the cost of living and the potential for long-term wage advancement or stagnation in your desired city or region before making any big decisions.
While some formal education is necessary, much more than an Associate degree won’t pay off relative to the cost of more years of college tuition. The landscaping industry places a much higher premium on real-time work experience, a formidable portfolio of creative and successful designs, and one’s teamwork ability.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of businesses employ landscape designers?
Companies that hire landscape designers include design firms, engineering firms, and architectural firms. Other popular options include universities, corporate headquarters, municipal parks departments, office parks (property management services), landscaping firms, and commercial pool and spa installation companies.
Are there any jobs like landscape design, but with better pay?
Landscape Architecture is a closely related profession. It requires a Bachelor’s degree or higher. Landscape architects can expect to make $20,000 per year more in base pay than landscape designers. Their degree, however, costs more, as does their mandatory licensure and continuing education.
To learn more on how you can start your own landscaping business, check out my startup documents here.
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Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Landscape Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a landscape business owner at a job site, driving down the road or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Landscaping Business Boss: I want to help landscape business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.