If you’ve contemplated the idea of becoming a landscape designer before, read on to learn about the best benefits of doing so. We’ll take a look at the perks of the job, the salary range, scheduling flexibility, and more! This will help you decide if landscape design is the career path for you!
The key benefits of being a landscape designer are creating your schedule, working for yourself, job stability, the pay range, and the ability to be creative. Many factors play a role in what each person’s career as a landscaper designer may look like. Let’s take a look at the individual factors below.
No two landscape designers’ career paths will be the same. Let’s take a look at the variety this job has to offer and how it will be unique to each individual. This will help you not only understand the key benefits of this job but also learn how you can make it work in a way that is best for your lifestyle! This career has a lot to offer so let’s jump right in and take a look at its benefits!
Creating Your Schedule
As a landscape designer, whether you work for a company or yourself, a good chunk of time you will have the luxury of setting your schedule. A lot of this comes down to the fact that you will be taking on individual clients and working with them in their personal space. Whether you’re solely focusing on one client at a time or juggling multiple, it will fall to you to create a schedule where you can make everything work.
As a designer, you’ll have to meet with individual clients to view their space and determine what needs to be done to redesign the space. You’ll also need to meet with any contractors, suppliers, vendors, etc. that you will need to work with to see your project through. If there are supplies that you need to purchase from a home goods store or department store, you’ll need to write it into your schedule to make time for that as well!
You’ll also come to find that no two work days will be the same! You may spend some days completely at a job site and others with back-to-back meetings racing across the city! Although this may sound daunting to some, others will enjoy being able to mix up the scenery and not have to sit behind an office cubicle day after day. Keep this in mind when deciding whether or not this role is a good fit for you. If you are someone who enjoys a set schedule and wants to work in an office every day, then this may not be the right fit for you.
Having the flexibility to make your schedule can be one of the biggest perks of this job. Be sure to check with your specific landscape design firm once you join to see what their rules are for scheduling. Most likely your firm will offer you generous flexibility when it comes to this role since so much of the work is done meeting with clients, contractors, on-site work, etc.
Working for Yourself
Often, landscape designers choose not to work for a design firm or company and choose to branch off on their own instead. This gives you sole control of what days and hours you choose. If you thought creating your schedule was exciting, setting your hours is a whole new level!
As your boss, you decide what days and times you want to meet with your clients. If you choose never to work after 3:00 p.m., that is something you are allowed to do. If it’s really important to you to have a three-day weekend once a month, you can schedule your workflow to allow you to do that. If you know that you have a vacation or important event coming up within the next few months, you can make sure to only take enough work to take that week or weekend off.
Being your boss and having complete control over your schedule gives you the freedom to set your work life around your personal life. Just make sure that all of the necessary work always gets done on time and that your clients are happy with the work you produce for them.
The Biggest Impact Of Landscaping
Job Stability
Currently, there is a good outlook when it comes to job stability in the field of landscape design. According to bls.gov, there is very little change as far as job outlook and opportunity goes from 2020 to 2030, with 1,600 new jobs being added each year. So, individuals looking to join this field don’t have to worry about the market shrinking anytime soon or their positions being eliminated. This is a huge benefit and provides workers in this field with the peace of mind that there are plenty of opportunities in the field for them.
Another benefit of having a design degree and pursuing a job in landscape design is having a skill that can’t be replaced by computers or technology. Since much of the job is done by meeting and interacting with clients and contractors, it would be difficult to replace this position altogether with a computer program. So, the need for workers in this field will always be needed, making this a good field as far as job security goes. If job security is an important factor for you when deciding on a field to enter, this will be a huge benefit for you.
The Pay Range
Another benefit of choosing this industry is the pay range. On average, landscape designers in the U.S. make about $60,000 per year. But the earning potential is high and those who have been in the industry longer and have experience can make up to $90,000 per year. Here is a list from zippia.com that shows the top ten highest-paying states when it comes to landscape designers. If you are open to relocating it might be in your best interest to take a look at these states and maximize your earning potential!
Ability to Be Creative on the Job
There are not too many positions out in the job field right now that allow people to be creative at work while also making a decent wage. So those who want to have the freedom to be creative at work only have so many options to choose from. The role of landscape designer just so happens to be one of those roles. As a landscape designer, your primary responsibility is to create aesthetically pleasing spaces for your clients. You’ll be able to sketch spaces out, create 3D versions in CAD, and search through many different fabrics/materials to create the perfect space.
If you are someone who finds it is important to be creative then you will certainly enjoy the freedom this role allows in expressing your creative side. It is certainly one of the biggest benefits of the job. Or if sitting in a cubicle in an office somewhere day after day sounds awful to you, then you certainly will appreciate the flexibility of working out of the office and the refreshing feel of having no two work days look the same!
Choosing Landscape Design as a Career
As you can see, a career as a landscape designer has many benefits. It gives you the power to set your schedule, be your boss, command a high wage, and express your creative side at work. It is a unique job in the career field with many benefits that will help you find a career that is both fulfilling and enjoyable. I hope this article has helped you learn a lot more about this career, so if you are thinking of pursuing it, it will help you decide whether or not it will be the right fit!
The Fastest Growing Profession In The Landscape Industry Today
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of schooling do I need to become a landscape designer?
To become a landscape designer, you need an Associate’s degree. There is no specific field that you are required to major in, but most experts agree that an Associate’s degree in a plant-related field – such as botany or horticulture – will help in landing your first position. Once you enter the field, your on-the-job experience will play a huge role in helping you land any future jobs.
Are landscape architects and landscape designers the same thing?
No, landscape architects are more specialized and require more training and licensing before they can enter the field. They require a Bachelor’s degree as opposed to an Associate’s and additional licenses. Architects will often specialize in larger-scale projects and usually work with commercial clients, while designers tend to take on smaller projects for residential clients instead. The pay range also varies and architects tend to earn a higher wage, due to their additional years of schooling and licenses.
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.