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Urban or Regional Planner

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AVG. SALARY

$72,810

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EDUCATION

Master's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Government and Public Administration cluster Planning pathway.

Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

Master's degree

Urban and regional planners need a master's degree from an accredited planning program to qualify for most positions. Bachelor's degree holders can qualify for a small number of jobs as assistant or junior planners.

Insider Info

Additional Information

At the undergraduate level, you should study the humanities, social sciences, geography, architecture, economics and engineering. Of course, computer skills are essential, as are English and mathematics.

Universities accept students from various undergraduate departments for the two- to three-year master's program.

There is also the question of the nature of work you are interested in. Working in a large city will require a different background than working in a small community.

It's a good idea to contact planners in your area and ask if you can spend some time with them at work. Find out how they got started and what their particular area of planning involves.

There are accredited planning technician programs at various colleges throughout the U.S. The main difference between a planning technician and an urban planner is that a technician deals less with policy and people and more with the actual designing and implementing of plans.

Extra Requirements

As of 2016, New Jersey was the only state that required urban and regional planners to be licensed. More information is available from the regulatory board of New Jersey. The American Planning Association offers the AICP certification for planners.

For additional information, visit these websites: