Urban and Regional Planners: Career Overview
Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.
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What Do Urban and Regional Planners Perform?
The core tasks performed by urban and regional planners cover:
- Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation.
- Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives.
- Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density.
- Hold public meetings with government officials, social scientists, lawyers, developers, the public, or special interest groups to formulate, develop, or address issues regarding land use or community plans.
- Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects.
- Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals.
- Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use.
- Evaluate proposals for infrastructure projects or other development for environmental impact or sustainability.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective urban and regional planners rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Urban and Regional Planners Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Campus Planner
- City Designer
- City Planner
- City Planning Engineer
- Community Development Planner
- Community Development Technician
- Community Planner
- Community Planning Technician
How Many Urban and Regional Planners Are There?
There are about 48,684 urban and regional planners working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.1% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Urban and Regional Planners Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $66,890 |
| Hourly median | $32.16 |
| 10th percentile | $40,652 |
| 25th percentile | $53,771 |
| 75th percentile | $80,009 |
| 90th percentile | $93,127 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Urban and Regional Planners Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $129,750 |
| California | $105,230 |
| Washington | $98,190 |
| Colorado | $96,810 |
| Connecticut | $94,960 |
| New York | $94,740 |
| Oregon | $92,400 |
| Minnesota | $91,810 |
| Nevada | $88,750 |
| Massachusetts | $88,030 |
| Maryland | $86,800 |
| Alaska | $85,970 |
| Rhode Island | $85,900 |
| New Jersey | $84,730 |
| North Dakota | $84,450 |
| Kansas | $83,660 |
| Guam | $83,570 |
| Vermont | $82,230 |
| Virginia | $81,750 |
| Hawaii | $80,170 |
| Illinois | $80,140 |
| North Carolina | $78,320 |
| Arizona | $78,200 |
| Texas | $78,180 |
| New Hampshire | $78,070 |
| Oklahoma | $77,620 |
| Missouri | $77,360 |
| Florida | $77,190 |
| Wisconsin | $76,580 |
| Michigan | $76,380 |
| Georgia | $75,990 |
| Montana | $75,950 |
| Iowa | $75,810 |
| Maine | $75,610 |
| Utah | $75,480 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,250 |
| Ohio | $74,340 |
| Kentucky | $72,550 |
| Wyoming | $69,590 |
| South Dakota | $68,080 |
| Tennessee | $67,790 |
| Idaho | $67,000 |
| New Mexico | $66,570 |
| Delaware | $66,410 |
| Indiana | $66,380 |
| South Carolina | $65,580 |
| Nebraska | $65,070 |
| Alabama | $64,880 |
| Louisiana | $64,800 |
| Mississippi | $62,330 |
| Arkansas | $60,800 |
| West Virginia | $58,240 |
| Puerto Rico | $46,720 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for urban and regional planners vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $100,877 | 29.0% | 1.92 |
| Middle Atlantic | $87,069 | 12.1% | 0.90 |
| New England | $86,772 | 6.3% | 1.37 |
| Rocky Mountains | $84,605 | 5.9% | 1.48 |
| Plains States | $80,407 | 5.9% | 0.99 |
| Southwest | $76,949 | 9.3% | 0.88 |
| Great Lakes | $75,956 | 9.9% | 0.75 |
| Southeast | $75,251 | 21.4% | 1.01 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $133,380 | 310 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $129,400 | 1,290 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $122,550 | 70 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $121,940 | 110 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $121,750 | 40 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $109,000 | 90 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $108,160 | 180 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $106,380 | 80 |
Industry Breakdown
Most urban and regional planners work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5,100 | $89,430 |
| Utilities | 190 | $122,010 |
| Educational Services | 150 | $77,870 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 110 | $79,630 |
Urban and Regional Planners work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of urban and regional planners reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Urban and Regional Planners
Typical urban and regional planners positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Water Resource Specialists (Supplemental)
- Emergency Management Directors (Supplemental)
- Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers (Primary-Short)
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Sustainability Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Information Technology Project Managers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for urban and regional planners commonly pursue programs in:
Architecture and Related Services
3 programs across 3 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
2 programs across 2 majors
Social Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 19-3051.00 (Urban and Regional Planners).
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