Urban and Regional Planners
Urban and Regional Planners earn an average annual salary of $114,551, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation).
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Urban and Regional Planners workforce.
Employment Over Time
7,630 Workforce in 2023
The Urban and Regional Planners workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Urban and Regional Planners.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$114,551 Average Wage
In 2023, Urban and Regional Planners earned an average of $114,551.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Urban and Regional Planners.
Salary distribution for Urban and Regional Planners.
Employment Growth Projections
1.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
32,555 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 6.9%
34,794 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 14.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Urban and Regional Planners.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Urban and Regional Planners and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Urban and Regional Planners employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Urban and Regional Planners.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Urban and Regional Planners.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Urban and Regional Planners.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 7,080 employees, $115,648 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Urban and Regional Planners.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,500 employees, $115,500 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,030 employees, $103,601 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 730 employees, $107,443 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 690 employees, $130,169 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 570 employees, $106,939 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 530 employees, $137,827 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 470 employees, $112,402 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 310 employees, $140,703 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 200 employees, $102,030 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 140 employees, $113,893 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Urban and Regional Planners.
Diversity
Demographic information on Urban and Regional Planners in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Urban and Regional Planners in 2023 was 7,630 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Urban and Regional Planners.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Urban and Regional Planners.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Urban and Regional Planners.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Urban and Regional Planners in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Urban and Regional Planners.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Urban and Regional Planners workers.
Education level distribution for Urban and Regional Planners.
Skills
Urban and Regional Planners need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Systems Analysis.
Required skills for Urban and Regional Planners.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Urban and Regional Planners.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Urban and Regional Planners include Law and Government, English Language, Geography, Transportation, Communications and Media.
Knowledge areas required for Urban and Regional Planners.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Urban and Regional Planners include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Speech Clarity.
Required abilities for Urban and Regional Planners.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Urban and Regional Planners.
Daily Activities
Urban and Regional Planners spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Developing Objectives and Strategies, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Urban and Regional Planners.
About
Urban and Regional Planners
The average yearly wage for Urban and Regional Planners was $114,551 in 2023.
SOC Code
19-3051 - Urban and Regional Planners
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Urban and Regional Planners reports an average salary of $114,551, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,630 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.