Landscape Architects Salary
Landscape Architects in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $66,830 a year, or about $32.13 an hour. The range runs from $55K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $64,514 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 40.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $67K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About landscape architects
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Pay for landscape architects in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $80K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 41% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for landscape architectss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for landscape architects in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $83K | $85K |
| Kansas City | $80K | $86K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $64K | $66K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $71K | $74K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level landscape architects (10th percentile) start around $55K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Landscape Architects pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Landscape Architects salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $101K | +27% | 230 |
| California | $98K | +23% | 2,310 |
| Tennessee | $95K | +19% | 260 |
| New Jersey | $95K | +19% | 360 |
| Utah | $94K | +18% | 90 |
| Maryland | $93K | +16% | 870 |
| Texas | $89K | +12% | 1,450 |
| Massachusetts | $88K | +10% | 500 |
| New York | $87K | +9% | 920 |
| Iowa | $87K | +9% | 80 |
| Rhode Island | $85K | +7% | 90 |
| Nevada | $85K | +7% | 180 |
| District of Columbia | $85K | +7% | 170 |
| North Carolina | $83K | +4% | 1,080 |
| Maine | $82K | +3% | 110 |
| Virginia | $81K | +2% | 570 |
| Montana | $81K | +2% | 80 |
| Florida | $80K | -0% | 1,210 |
| Colorado | $78K | -2% | 690 |
| Michigan | $78K | -3% | 650 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | -3% | 910 |
| Washington | $77K | -4% | 760 |
| Connecticut | $77K | -4% | 270 |
| Missouri | $77K | -4% | 110 |
| Arizona | $75K | -6% | 390 |
| Idaho | $74K | -7% | 160 |
| Kansas | $74K | -8% | 150 |
| Oregon | $74K | -8% | 350 |
| Georgia | $74K | -8% | 410 |
| New Mexico | $72K | -10% | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $72K | -10% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $71K | -12% | 80 |
| Vermont | $70K | -13% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $70K | -13% | 450 |
| Kentucky | $68K | -14% | 140 |
| Illinois | $67K | -16% | 810 |
| Indiana | $65K | -19% | 460 |
| Oklahoma | $64K | -19% | 170 |
| Ohio | $64K | -20% | 480 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -22% | 190 |
| Arkansas | $61K | -24% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track landscape architects salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a landscape architect afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 41% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for landscape architects in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new landscape architects typically earn — is $55K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,286/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is landscape architect a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $67K here vs. $80K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for landscape architects?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $80K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do landscape architects make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $66,830 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,770, and experienced landscape architects can clear $105,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,341/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 41% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a landscape architects salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median landscape architects salary is worth about $64,514 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do landscape architects get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.