Top Salary for Entry Levels (and the like)

[Audra Lofton, Hon. ASLA]

To answer the 5 year MLA question…it is 3 BLA/3MLA at Kansas State:

http://capd.ksu.edu/larcp/academics/landscape-architecture#post

[nca]

I was thinking of CU-Denver, but I think that’s actually three years. Regardless, the question is the same.

nrschmid said:

I’m not familiar with five year MLA programs. I thought if you have a previous design degree (bachelors, masters, etc.) you might be able to complete the MLA in 2 years. Otherwise, the MLA is the first design degree for everyone else, which takes 3 years to complete. Maybe you are thinking of MArch programs?

What school(s) have a five year MLA program?

[nca]

To clarify, I’m wondering why a First professional Grad is worth more than an undergrad when the skill set is the same. I suppose the grad student has had more formal education, where as I spent my early 20’s in design-build and am only now completing undergraduate work.

I think the discussion has probably digressed far enough from the original question at this point. I’m hoping some others can weigh in on salary expectations and realities.

-n

Nick Aceto said:

I was thinking of CU-Denver, but I think that’s actually three years. Regardless, the question is the same.

nrschmid said:

I’m not familiar with five year MLA programs. I thought if you have a previous design degree (bachelors, masters, etc.) you might be able to complete the MLA in 2 years. Otherwise, the MLA is the first design degree for everyone else, which takes 3 years to complete. Maybe you are thinking of MArch programs?

What school(s) have a five year MLA program?

[nca]

CSU’s undergrad is five technically, but most do it in four.

Audra Lofton said:

To answer the 5 year MLA question…it is 3 BLA/3MLA at Kansas State:

http://capd.ksu.edu/larcp/academics/landscape-architecture#post

[Matt Landis]

Nick…thanks for starting this discussion. I would like to point out where this discussion started. I believe that your interest in this was sparked by a discussion that Andrew started called “Obstacles Facing Our Profession”.

If we are in this profession because we love it, we want to help better society, or give back to our profession….the meat of this is that most of us need to pay some bills at the end of the month. I have seen many people through this string point out a few lucky people that make a bit more than the “average” that ASLA posts on their website. This is great that some firms are starting to recognize that LA’s have mortgages and rent to pay just like any other person…but I think that as a profession, we still have a ways to go.

To answer your question about why an MLA typically gets paid more than a BLA…I can answer based on how the ASLA salary round table views this in terms of entry levels. Even though a BLA may have a 5 year degree as opposed to someone with an undergrad in biology and a 3 year Masters in LA…the MLA will be paid more due to both their “life” experience and their past professional experience….even if it is another field. Someone that has spent 8 years working in a software engineering firm likely has some professional skills that someone coming straight out of undergrad may not have.

I am not saying that this is the “best” way to determine how much a BLA vs an MLA should be paid…but I know from experience that this is how many firms view their candidates.

[Brandon Reed, CVO, ASLA / Rooftop and Urban Designer / Landscape Architect]

FIND YOUR NICHE…..

KNOW EVERYTHING…..

DO THINGS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE…..

THAT ALWAYS HAS WORKED FOR ME TO ATLEAST TRY TO DO THESE THINGS…..

[nca]

Where has this discussion gone…?? 🙂

Matt, thanks for the concise answer. I think there’s some debate to this, or at least some exceptions, but I’m going to let it rest. Thanks for all the replies.

[nca]

Really? I never thought of that… 🙂

Brandon Reed said:

FIND YOUR NICHE…..
KNOW EVERYTHING…..

DO THINGS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE…..

THAT ALWAYS HAS WORKED FOR ME TO ATLEAST TRY TO DO THESE THINGS…..

[Tracey]

I agree with nrschmid. There’s an assumption that if you’re getting an MLA (w/ no previous LA experience), that you have some professional experience that a BLA doesn’t. When I talked to the owner of a firm, he implied that someone with an MLA with business experience would earn more than an MLA with no business experience. Now, I would need to pitch my business experience as being applicable to the job, of course. Something like project management would be a lot more relevant than, say, computer programming.

That said, if you’re a BLA with more LA and life experience than an MLA, I think you can negotiate a better salary.

[nca]

That seems logical. I think the discussion has gone fairly askew from where it began.

schmid–I’d still like to see your work samples when you get a chance:)

[nca]

Indeed. You should have no problem getting into GSD and conquering the world.

nrschmid said:

Check my folio. I just added samples of some of my work (will be adding more later on). The orginial hand-rendered graphic was done in colored pencil about 5 1/2 years ago. In the past year, I scaled the graphic in AutoCAD and cranked out the site/landscape plans. This site was over 100 acres, and I went from a conceptual graphic to CDs down to the nearest curb-cut. These graphics are at reduced size and I lowered the resolution so much of the lineweights are too hard to read without zooming in. I will be putting together more detailed planting plans for this site (at 80-100% CDs), bringing the CAD file into Sketchup, putting together architectural pattern books for each of the model homes either in Sketchup, Revit, or a combination of the two, and then possibly creating an overall digital rendering in Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop for a cover graphic, one of several projects that I am putting into a design portfolio for MLA admissions. One professor at UGA said I could complete the program in 2 years instead of 3.

Not bad for a planner with no design degree 😛

Nick Aceto said:

That seems logical. I think the discussion has gone fairly askew from where it began.

schmid–I’d still like to see your work samples when you get a chance:)

[nca]

Indeed. Good luck with everything.

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