Salaries-Range

• Salaries for urban planners vary somewhat based on the level of experience, the prestige of the graduate and undergraduate degrees earned, and whether an urban planner works at the town, state or federal level. Some urban planners also work freelance or as consultants, further adding to the variance in salaries. In addition to salary, most full-time urban planners earn a generous benefits package, including a pension, insurance, paid vacation time, and tuition reimbursement for continuing studies.
  
  

Salaries

• The median salary for urban planners in the United States is nearly $59,000 as of 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries range from $38,000 for beginning or part-time planners to $91,000 for highly experienced planners.
  
  

Duties

• Urban planners combine working in their offices with a great deal of travel throughout the city. They work with key stakeholders to determine plans for new public building projects. They also analyze existing structures and developed areas to determine if they need upgrading, analyze the appropriateness of private development plans, and help manage transportation and environmental issues.
  
  

Training

• Urban planners normally have a graduate degree in Urban Planning. They also need a broad educational background that covers architecture, engineering, environmental studies or social sciences to bring to bear on the work they do, which is highly complex. Most urban planners also pursue considerable continuing education through conferences and seminars to keep abreast of social issues, such as the increasing need for schools, environmental issues such as urban wildlife, and technical issues, such as building conservation, all of which are important to good urban planning.