How To Become An Environmental Designer: What It Is and Career Path

What is an environmental designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The job of an environmental designer is to create the environments, backgrounds, and layouts of animated films, TV shows, and video games. Environmental designers work with animators, directors, and developers to make the stylistic and story elements of the game or animation possible. They use high-tech software to design structures and erect infrastructures. They create mood and give context to the worlds where characters are. Also, they help facilitate the many moving parts of an animation or video game. Additionally, they adhere to the production schedule and budget.

The most common educational requirement for this job is a master's degree, but you may get hired with a bachelor's degree. Environmental designers are employed by urban planning, architecture, or landscape architecture firms. You may need a license to work in some states. These experts make about $62,038 per year, equivalent to $29.83 per hour. The salary range varies between $41,000 and $91,000.

ScoreEnvironmental DesignerUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $56,929

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.5

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 12.86%

Black or African American 3.50%

Hispanic or Latino 10.18%

Unknown 3.83%

White 69.18%

Gender

female 40.18%

male 59.82%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an environmental designer

Explore environmental designer education requirements

Most common environmental designer degrees

Bachelor's

72.8 %

Associate

19.6 %

Master's

6.5 %

Start to develop specific environmental designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Autocad	31.46%
CAD	18.81%
Environmental Design	18.69%
Design Intent	9.87%
Design Process	8.95%

Complete relevant environmental designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New environmental designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an environmental designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real environmental designer resumes.

Research environmental designer duties and responsibilities

Modify SRV-1 source code using JavaScript software to attain tracking at any instantaneous time.
Produce entire plan-sets in AutoCAD for stream/wetland mitigation and stormwater BMP projects.
Improve topographic maps by integrating GPS information via ArcView GIS.
Develop customized user interaction models using object-orient prototyping.

Prepare your environmental designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your environmental designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an environmental designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable environmental designer resume templates

Build a professional environmental designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your environmental designer resume.