How long does the training take?

Typically about six years of study in total. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do urban and regional planners make?

The US median is $89,320 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree for this work?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train for this work?

332 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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Urban and regional planners: pay, training and the programs that lead there

Science · SOC 19-3051

$89,320US median pay, 2025

+3.9%Projected growth, 2025–35

3,200Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Master's degree
Work in: urban and regional planners

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Sustainability Studies	CIP 30.3301	213
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	CIP 04.0301	117
Urban Studies/Affairs	CIP 45.1201	87
Real Estate Development	CIP 04.1001	16
Sustainable Design/Architecture	CIP 04.0403	3
Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies	CIP 44.0403	3
Design for Human Health	CIP 30.3701	0

See the 332 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does the training take?: Typically about six years of study in total. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do urban and regional planners make?: The US median is $89,320 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train for this work?: 332 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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