Urban and Regional Planners: Job Description
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 Tasks Do Urban and Regional Planners Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of urban and regional planners span:
- 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.
What Urban and Regional Planners Need to Know
Successful urban and regional planners rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Urban and Regional Planners Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Campus Planner
- City Designer
- City Planner
- City Planning Engineer
- Community Development Planner
- Community Development Technician
- Community Planner
- Community Planning Technician
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 48,684 urban and regional planners working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +8.1% over the projection horizon.
Urban and Regional Planners Pay
| 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 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Urban and Regional Planners Salary by State
| 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 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for urban and regional planners differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Which Industries Hire Urban and Regional Planners
The bulk of 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 |
Below are examples of industries where urban and regional planners work:
Software Urban and Regional Planners Use
- 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of urban and regional planners is shaped by 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
Education and Training
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), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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 often complete 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
About the Data
This profile draws on 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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