Career change as a landscape architect
With your experience you can switch to 8 jobs in Germany: 6 with on-the-job training and 2 with training or a course.
In the job search you can sort by what matters to you, save jobs and see where they lead.
Career change paths
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Urban planner
Also: Open space planner in the city administration
With on-the-job training
In urban planning offices or planning offices, you help develop development plans, neighborhood development and climate adaptation.
- What you bring:
- You plan open spaces, squares and green areas and know land-use planning and participation procedures.
- How to get there:
- Municipalities and planning offices hire landscape architects for urban and open space planning and train them on the job in planning law and administrative procedures. In administration working hours are usually more predictable.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office€6,354gross per monthMedian salary
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Environmental planner
Also: Officer at the local nature conservation authority
With on-the-job training
At nature conservation authorities or environmental offices, you review interventions, plan compensation measures and prepare environmental reports.
- What you bring:
- You know the impact mitigation regulation (Eingriffsregelung), compensation areas and landscape maintenance from many projects.
- How to get there:
- Environmental authorities and planning offices train landscape architects on the job in nature and species protection law. For species protection reports you usually work together with biologists.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightIn an office€4,984gross per monthMedian salary
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Construction manager in horticulture and landscaping
Also: Construction supervisor for outdoor facilities
With on-the-job training
As a construction manager in horticulture and landscaping, you steer crews, material and schedules on construction sites.
- What you bring:
- You know plants, surfaces, vegetation technology and tenders and know what good execution looks like.
- How to get there:
- Horticulture and landscaping companies hire landscape architects as construction managers and train them on the job in cost estimating and construction site organization. Expect a lot of time outdoors and changing construction sites.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Fixed daytime hoursLots of time outdoors -
Project advisor for outdoor facility products
Also: Specialist advisor for playground and street furniture
With on-the-job training
At manufacturers, you advise planning offices and municipalities, present products and support tenders.
- What you bring:
- You know how planners select and tender surfaces, play equipment or green roofs.
- How to get there:
- Manufacturers give landscape architects product training over a few weeks. Expect field work in a fixed sales territory.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLots of contact with people€5,550gross per monthMedian salary
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GIS specialist
Also: Geodata employee in a municipality
With on-the-job training
As a GIS specialist, you maintain and analyze geodata, for example for tree registers, green areas or climate analyses.
- What you bring:
- You work with plans, aerial images and geodata and know the questions of open space planning.
- How to get there:
- Municipalities and planning offices train landscape architects with GIS experience on the job. Courses for common GIS software take a few days to a few weeks. A part-time GIS course lasting a few months gives you more depth.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically lightLittle customer contactIn an officeHome office possible€4,939gross per monthMedian salary
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Regional manager
Also: Policy advisor for rural development
With on-the-job training
In regional management or at state authorities, you look after funding programs for rural areas and support projects through to implementation.
- What you bring:
- You can bring municipalities, citizens and experts to one table and develop projects for landscapes and places.
- How to get there:
- Regional management offices, districts and offices for rural development train planners on the job in grant law and project control. Some positions are tied to funding periods and fixed-term.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursPhysically light€6,457gross per monthMedian salary
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Tree expert appraiser
Also: Expert appraiser for horticulture and landscaping
With further training
As an expert appraiser, you assess the traffic safety of trees, damage to facilities or defects in construction work.
- What you bring:
- You know trees and shrubs, site conditions and execution errors in outdoor facilities.
- How to get there:
- Courses on tree inspection usually take a few days. Training to become a tree expert or an expert for horticulture and landscaping takes several months alongside work. You become publicly appointed and sworn in (öffentlich bestellt und vereidigt) after the chamber has examined your special expertise.*
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLots of time outdoors -
Horticulture teacher at a vocational school
Also: Teacher at a technical school for horticulture
With a degree
At vocational and technical schools, you teach future landscape gardeners, master craftspeople (Meister) and technicians.
- What you bring:
- You can explain plant science, vegetation technology and planning from practice.
- How to get there:
- In several states, the alternative route into teaching (Seiteneinstieg) is possible with a master's or Diplom degree and a preparatory service alongside work, usually lasting 18 to 24 months. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, this only works for positions that a school advertises for career changers, and each state decides whether your degree is recognized for horticulture.*Regulated by law (State law: teacher education acts and alternative-route regulations of the German states).
* No guarantee of accuracy.
Mostly no weekendsFixed daytime hoursLittle customer contact€5,140gross per monthMedian salary
Salary: median of all full-time employees in the job, gross per month excluding special payments, as of April 2025. Half earn more, half earn less. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), table 62361-0030, license dl-de/by-2-0. Assigned to the jobs by quereinsteiger.de. No guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently asked questions
Which jobs can I do as a landscape architect without vocational training or retraining?
Without a new qualification, often with on-the-job training: Urban planner, Environmental planner, Construction manager in horticulture and landscaping, Project advisor for outdoor facility products, GIS specialist and Regional manager.
Which retraining or further training suits me as a landscape architect?
With vocational training, retraining, further training or a course: Tree expert appraiser and Horticulture teacher at a vocational school.
Which of these jobs pay the most?
According to official statistics, the highest median full-time salaries are: Regional manager (€6,457 gross per month), Urban planner (€6,354 gross per month) and Project advisor for outdoor facility products (€5,550 gross per month). Half of employees earn more, half earn less; when you start it is often lower. Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), April 2025. No guarantee of accuracy.
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