Urban and Regional Planners
Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.
Also called: City Planner · Community Development Planner · Community Planner · Development Technician · Housing Development Specialist · Neighborhood Planner
Median pay (national)
$83,720
$55,590–$128,550 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
43,040
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.4%
~3,400 openings/yr
Typical entry
Master's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for urban and regional planners shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $128,550 versus $55,590 at the bottom 10% — 2.3x. The median of $83,720 leaves roughly 54% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.4% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 3,400 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $129,750, +55% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $46,720 — a 178% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Autodesk AutoCAD, ESRI ArcGIS software, Geographic information system GIS systems, Microsoft Excel as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Discuss with planning officials the purpose of land use projects, such as transportation, conservation, residential, commercial, industrial, or community use.
- Keep informed about economic or legal issues involved in zoning codes, building codes, or environmental regulations.
Tools & technology
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Bentley MicroStation
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks
- Extensible markup language XML
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- Oracle Database
Knowledge areas
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Geography
- Transportation
- Communications and Media
- Administration and Management
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Customer and Personal Service