← All careers

Science

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$89,320

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$60k – $134k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $119,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Urban and Regional Planners

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

  1. Urban and Regional Planners Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Urban and Regional Planners

    Entry / Junior

    $60,010

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Urban and Regional Planners

    Established

    $89,320

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Urban and Regional Planners

    Senior

    $111,905

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical 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.
  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Science

Explore all

Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.