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where is the best place to live to be a landscape architect

i want to be comfortably living not having to worry about bills but I don't know where to relocate with a great salary.

construction architecture financial-planning architect building architectural landscape-architecture
Thank you comment icon I’ve lived and practiced in Florida since I graduated with an MLA (LSU). I moved to Florida without a job, and that’s my advice to anyone: pick a geography you love. It’s true that costs are high in some parts of Florida; but salaries are high. I always made more money than architects, for instance, with similar experience. I wanted to specialize and become expert in tropical plant material and planting design, which meant Zone 11+. Michael Spencer
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Steven’s Answer

First step to getting paid well at any job is being good at the job, so that should be priority #1. After that research where the more affluent areas in a region you are interested are, but be aware that most areas with higher incomes also have a higher cost of living (think rent and groceries, etc). A better starting place may be to research both starting and average salaries for landscape architects and try to figure out if that is enough money to support your lifestyle.
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Abdelrahman’s Answer

California
Thank you comment icon Can you say more on this? Why California? Gurpreet Lally, Admin
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john’s Answer

As a future landscape architect, you are inevitably going to be linked in some way to the place where you studied. . The knowledge you gain about the local ecology, flora, and historical context of your school's area will connect you and the local community, plants, and resources. Therefore, considering the location of your school is a crucial step during your application process. However, relocating doesn't mean you're stuck; you can always supplement your knowledge by taking additional classes about the local flora and fauna of your new location.

Moreover, the nature of the projects you want to work on should help influence your choice. If you're drawn towards designing courtyards and plazas, a city with a more urbanized setting would be ideal. Conversely, if your passion lies in creating hiking trails, watershed projects, or riparian parks, a rural setting would be more suitable.

When considering your potential income, the major cities in the US are likely to offer the most lucrative opportunities. Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Raleigh, Miami, Boston, and Austin are just a few examples. To maximize your job prospects, research potential firms you're interested in, note their locations, and then explore other firms within the same city.
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Michael’s Answer

This one is easy: live in a place you love. Then, find a job.

Keep in mind that as deep knowledge about plant material is central to our work - the exception being those colleagues involved in site or land planning, usually for developers) - sometimes moving involves acquiring an entirely new palette.

I’ve lived in Florida my entire 30+ year career, and I’ve become expert on tropical plants. Florida is special in this regard, as there are more than 3,500 commonly available species/varieties (have a look at plant finder.com), and because plant material is incredibly cheap. Recently, I was offered a very good job - in Wyoming! Aside from not wanting to live in a cold environment, I realized that I could not offer clients the in-depth plant knowledge I have here in Florida.

The main takeaway is this: work to live. Not the opposite.
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Danielle’s Answer

I am in michigan and we have a bunch of firms here. But we also have a lot of freelance. It may also depend on what part of the career you want to do. Landscape architecture can really be everything between architecture and a civil engineer. That also may affect where you decide to locate too. We have tons of lakes here so we deal with more wetland areas, etc.

Danielle recommends the following next steps:

Also search online: landscape architecture salary us
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