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Regional and Urban Planners Job Overview

Regional and urban planners are involved in developing short-term and long-term plans for the use of land as well as the growth and revitalization of suburban, urban and rural communities. Urban and regional planners also assist local officials in alleviating economic, social and environmental problems by recommending locations for schools, roads and other types of infrastructure. Regional and urban planners also suggest zoning regulations for private property. They are sometimes called community planners or city planners.

Regional and Urban Planners Schools and Degrees

Many schools offer master's degrees in urban or regional planning. Some schools provide a bachelor's degree in urban planning. Applicable undergraduate degrees include geography, economics, environmental design and political science. Most of the college and university planning departments provide areas of specialization.

Job Requirements

Most of the entry-level positions in local, state and federal government agencies require a master's degree in urban or regional planning or in a related field such as urban design, geography or environmental planning.

Nature of Work

• Recommend approval, denial or conditional approval of proposals
• Compile and evaluate data on social, economic, regulatory and physical factors which affect land use
• Determine the effects of regulatory limitations on projects
• Discuss with planning officials the purpose of land use projects such as conservation, transportation, commercial, residential, industrial and community use

Regional and Urban Planners Jobs and Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 19 percent employment growth from 2008 to 2018 for regional and urban planners which is faster than the average for all occupations.

The major employers of regional and urban planners are shown below:

• Government agencies
• Professional, scientific and technical services

The median annual wages for regional and urban planners in 2009 was $61,820.

Job Numbers and Growth

How many regional and urban planners are there? About 34,000 in all. Workers can most likely expect a very low rate of unemployment. Note that 2% of employees were without work in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Olympia (Washington), Santa Cruz (California), and Bellingham (Washington) boast the most regional and urban planners for their size population. Wichita (Kansas), Buffalo (New York), and Knoxville (Tennessee) have the fewest.

The highest salaries for workers are in and around Napa (California), San Francisco (California), and San Jose (California). The lowest-paying areas are Syracuse (New York), McAllen (Texas), and Lancaster (Pennsylvania).

Training and Education

Expect to get a master's degree for this occupation. The share of employees with a bachelor's degree or higher is 92%. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

It is estimated that 6% of regional and urban planners work less than full time.

Regional And Urban Planners by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Birmingham	$60,000	60	-55%
Huntsville	$55,000	40	-27%
Montgomery	$54,000	120	+182%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$74,000	120	+175%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Phoenix	$66,000	410	-15%
Tucson	$61,000	110	+20%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$51,000	30	-44%
Little Rock	$46,000	30	-68%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$74,000	100	+45%
Chico	$73,000	40	+135%
Fresno	$73,000	190	+122%
Los Angeles	$78,000	1,760	+59%
Modesto	$73,000	40	-1%
Napa	$98,000	40	+163%
Oakland	$82,000	940	+246%
Oxnard	$82,000	180	+127%
Riverside	$74,000	660	+101%
Sacramento	$79,000	680	+188%
Salinas	$85,000	110	+164%
San Diego	$78,000	730	+104%
San Francisco	$86,000	1,230	+355%
San Jose	$93,000	590	+142%
San Luis Obispo	$67,000	90	+287%
Santa Ana	$81,000	660	+66%
Santa Barbara	$79,000	130	+197%
Santa Cruz	$75,000	120	+452%
Santa Rosa	$81,000	70	+54%
Stockton	$71,000	70	+27%
Vallejo	$78,000	70	+128%
Visalia	$68,000	40	+15%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boulder	$66,000	160	+302%
Colorado Springs	$72,000	50	-25%
Denver	$70,000	360	+6%
Fort Collins	$65,000	60	+86%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$65,000	50	-56%
Hartford	$80,000	100	-36%

Delaware

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Wilmington	$64,000	100	+15%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$73,000	930	+40%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Coral	$63,000	70	+38%
Deltona	$58,000	40	+0%
Fort Lauderdale	$67,000	220	+16%
Gainesville	$59,000	50	+61%
Jacksonville	$61,000	130	-20%
Lakeland	$64,000	50	+1%
Miami	$78,000	200	-25%
Naples	$75,000	40	+40%
Orlando	$62,000	280	+1%
Palm Bay	$52,000	40	-23%
Panama City	$68,000	40	+137%
Pensacola	$48,000	50	+30%
Port St Lucie	$58,000	50	+64%
Sarasota	$62,000	50	-23%
Tallahassee	$55,000	120	+186%
Tampa	$65,000	380	+22%
West Palm Beach	$65,000	190	+36%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlanta	$60,000	400	-37%
Augusta	$46,000	60	+11%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$60,000	170	+144%
Coeur Dalene	$53,000	30	+149%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chicago	$77,000	340	-67%
Springfield	$67,000	50	+83%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Evansville	$52,000	40	-11%
Gary	$56,000	30	-58%
Indianapolis	$55,000	170	-30%
South Bend	$50,000	30	-10%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Davenport	$62,000	40	-18%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Topeka	$61,000	40	+42%
Wichita	$63,000	30	-61%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Louisville	$51,000	50	-70%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
New Orleans	$48,000	100	-30%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Portland	$65,000	50	-5%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baltimore	$69,000	690	+93%
Bethesda	$73,000	110	-30%
Hagerstown	$60,000	40	+64%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boston	$73,000	720	+51%
Framingham	$70,000	30	-30%
Haverhill	$56,000	40	+96%
Leominster	$66,000	30	+155%
Lowell	$73,000	30	-3%
Worcester	$65,000	80	+20%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ann Arbor	$66,000	80	+83%
Grand Rapids	$67,000	60	-41%
Lansing	$68,000	150	+187%
Niles	$47,000	50	+257%
Warren	$63,000	200	-32%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Duluth	$56,000	40	+20%
Minneapolis	$66,000	700	+44%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Gulfport	$38,000	40	+46%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Kansas City	$56,000	220	-20%
St Louis	$52,000	170	-53%

Montana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Missoula	$50,000	50	+299%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Omaha	$65,000	120	-6%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$78,000	170	-26%
Reno	$78,000	60	+19%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Nashua	$61,000	50	+41%
Rochester	$57,000	30	+133%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Edison	$79,000	120	-57%
Newark	$60,000	90	-67%
Trenton	$78,000	80	+33%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$58,000	70	-33%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$58,000	120	-2%
Binghamton	$64,000	30	+4%
Buffalo	$57,000	100	-33%
Ithaca	$63,000	30	+214%
Nassau	$70,000	130	-62%
New York	$67,000	740	-48%
Poughkeepsie	$59,000	80	+22%
Rochester	$65,000	80	-42%
Syracuse	$45,000	80	-5%
Utica	$72,000	40	+25%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Asheville	$52,000	90	+94%
Charlotte	$63,000	340	+46%
Durham	$60,000	70	-5%
Fayetteville	$59,000	30	-8%
Greensboro	$58,000	70	-27%
Greenville	$55,000	30	+81%
Hickory	$48,000	40	+5%
Raleigh	$55,000	240	+71%
Wilmington	$56,000	60	+70%
Winston Salem	$54,000	60	+8%

North Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fargo	$58,000	40	+28%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$63,000	70	-19%
Cincinnati	$58,000	140	-49%
Cleveland	$61,000	120	-57%
Columbus	$52,000	80	-68%
Dayton	$63,000	90	-13%
Toledo	$57,000	30	-62%
Youngstown	$44,000	70	+17%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Oklahoma City	$65,000	70	-55%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bend	$70,000	60	+290%
Corvallis	$78,000	50	+731%
Eugene	$64,000	80	+120%
Medford	$51,000	100	+421%
Portland	$71,000	680	+144%
Salem	$65,000	120	+210%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Allentown	$55,000	100	+7%
Erie	$40,000	30	-9%
Harrisburg	$50,000	160	+86%
Johnstown	$41,000	50	+269%
Lancaster	$43,000	40	-36%
Philadelphia	$60,000	520	0%
Pittsburgh	$46,000	220	-30%
Scranton	$38,000	80	+15%
York	$47,000	80	+73%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$66,000	180	+19%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$54,000	50	-35%
Columbia	$61,000	80	-15%
Greenville	$54,000	40	-50%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$50,000	50	-17%
Knoxville	$47,000	40	-55%
Memphis	$52,000	80	-52%
Nashville	$54,000	140	-31%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Austin	$56,000	310	+45%
College Station	$47,000	70	+201%
Dallas	$66,000	260	-55%
Fort Worth	$61,000	200	-15%
Houston	$59,000	210	-71%
Mcallen	$47,000	40	-34%
San Antonio	$59,000	150	-37%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ogden	$57,000	50	-5%
Provo	$65,000	50	+12%
Salt Lake City	$61,000	130	-21%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$53,000	110	+286%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charlottesville	$57,000	70	+223%
Richmond	$59,000	210	+26%
Roanoke	$51,000	50	+23%
Virginia Beach	$61,000	320	+55%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bremerton	$73,000	80	+286%
Kennewick	$65,000	50	+97%
Mount Vernon	$62,000	40	+285%
Olympia	$70,000	310	+1139%
Seattle	$73,000	1,450	+278%
Spokane	$59,000	110	+103%
Tacoma	$72,000	150	+113%
Wenatchee	$73,000	30	+233%
Yakima	$59,000	70	+235%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Green Bay	$58,000	60	+36%
Madison	$68,000	150	+65%
Milwaukee	$107,000	190	-16%
Oshkosh	$52,000	40	+82%