Quick answer: Massachusetts employs about 500 landscape architects (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through your state landscape architect licensing board. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Landscape architecture is licensed in most states. The national sequence is a LAAB-accredited degree from the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board, documented design experience under a licensed landscape architect, and the Landscape Architect Registration Examination administered through CLARB. Whether the state runs a title act or a practice act, and how much experience it counts, is set board by board.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state landscape architect licensing board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 2 schools
within 54 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
2 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Landscape Architects in Massachusetts earn a median $88,000 per year, above the national median of $79,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Landscape Architecture Pay and Employment in Massachusetts at a Glance
Metric
Massachusetts
National
Source
Median annual wage
$88,000
$79,870
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$67,320
$54,770
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$79,310
$64,170
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$91,700
$104,090
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$113,760
$130,190
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
500
19,600
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
1.1
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
3.5%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Massachusetts Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Massachusetts median of $88,000 sits above the national median of $79,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.1 puts Massachusetts slightly above the national average, so the occupation is a little more common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Landscape architecture demand follows regional development patterns - subdivision and campus work, parks and municipal budgets, and the climate that decides what gets planted and how sites drain
Landscape Architects Wages by Metro Area in Massachusetts
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), landscape architects wages in Massachusetts vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Boston-Cambridge-Newton
350
$91,520
$92,700
$70,460
$125,010
Providence-Warwick
90
$80,600
$82,440
$53,490
$112,320
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do landscape architects make in Massachusetts?
The median annual wage for landscape architects in Massachusetts is $88,000, above the national median of $79,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $79,310 at the 25th percentile to $91,700 at the 75th.
How many landscape architects work in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts holds about 500 landscape architect jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 19,600, and BLS projects about 1,700 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a landscape architect in Massachusetts?
Landscape architecture is licensed in most states. The national sequence is a LAAB-accredited degree from the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board, documented design experience under a licensed landscape architect, and the Landscape Architect Registration Examination administered through CLARB. Whether the state runs a title act or a practice act, and how much experience it counts, is set board by board. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state landscape architect licensing board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a LAAB-accredited landscape architecture degree online while working in Massachusetts?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state landscape architect licensing board.
What is the highest-paying area of Massachusetts for landscape architects?
Among Massachusetts metro areas with published data, Boston reports the highest median at $91,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Massachusetts a good state for landscape architects?
On pay, the state median of $88,000 sits above the national $79,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.1 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Landscape Architects (SOC 17-1012), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
