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.
What it pays
Urban and Regional Planners earn a median of $42.94/hr — about $89,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $28.85/hr; the top 10% earn $64.66/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Urban and Regional Planners earn a median of $42.94/hr — about $89,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $28.85/hr; the top 10% earn $64.66/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Master's degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
Working for yourself
About 0% of urban and regional planners are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are analytical, take-charge and organized and detail-focused.
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Quick questions
- How much does a urban and regional planner make?
- The median pay is $42.94 per hour — roughly $89,500 a year, with the real range running from about $28.85/hr (10th percentile) to $64.66/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a urban and regional planner?
- The typical entry-level education is: Master's degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a urban and regional planner actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.