Quick answer: The Madison metro employs about 130 landscape architects (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state landscape architect licensing board.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. 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.
See the Wisconsin licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state landscape architect licensing board.
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 1 school
within 1 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
1 of them carries 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 the Madison area earn a median $82,870 per year, above the national median of $79,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Landscape Architecture Pay in Madison, WI
Metric
Madison metro
Wisconsin
National
Median annual wage
$82,870
$69,520
$79,870
10th percentile
$58,240
$46,470
$54,770
25th percentile
$60,800
$55,170
$64,170
75th percentile
$98,510
$95,680
$104,090
90th percentile
$125,790
$104,930
$130,190
Employment
130
450
19,600
Location quotient
2.53
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Madison, WI metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Madison median of $82,870 is above the national median of $79,870, and above the Wisconsin statewide median of $69,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 2.53 means landscape architects are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
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
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 Madison?
The median annual wage for landscape architects in the Madison, WI metro area is $82,870, above the national median of $79,870 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many landscape architects work in the Madison area?
The Madison, WI metro area employs about 130 landscape architects (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do landscape architects in Madison need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. 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. Confirm current requirements with your state landscape architect licensing board.
Can I study landscape architecture online from Madison?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state landscape architect licensing board.
Is Madison a better market than the rest of Wisconsin?
The Madison metro median is $82,870 against a statewide median of $69,520 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
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/.
