Urban Planner
Law & Public Safety
Plan how land gets used — housing, transit, parks — and run the public process behind those choices.
Why it matters here: Montgomery Planning, D.C. agencies, and Northern Virginia counties all staff planning teams.
Labor Market — DMV Region
Sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS releases (DMV metro and nationwide) plus MD, VA, and D.C. workforce agencies.
Local cost of living is why DMV pay often differs from the national median.
- DMV & state figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS wage & employment estimates and Employment Projections, with OEWS area pay relatives for the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro, Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia · View source
- Occupation profiles & skills: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · onetonline.org
All salary figures are published estimates for groups of workers, not offers or guarantees for any individual role.
Education & Career Pathways
Multiple ways to get here — pick the one that fits your life.
Career Progression
How you can grow — with expected salary at each step.
- Entry-level Urban PlannerLearning the role, supervised work, building core skills.$70,850
- Urban Planner (experienced)Independent work, mentoring newer team members.$89,160
- Senior / Lead Urban PlannerOwning projects, specialization, higher responsibility.$111,180
- Manager or specialist trackSupervising a team or moving into a high-demand specialty.$133,416
Skills Required
What you'll actually do — and how you'll be judged.
Agency office plus evening public meetings
Where you work
A planning department with maps, plan sets and GIS, plus site visits and hearing rooms.
Hours and schedule
Weekday hours with regular evening community meetings and hearings.
Pace and pressure
Long-horizon projects interrupted by application review deadlines.
Who you work with
Engineers, developers, elected officials, community groups and legal staff.
Physical demands
Desk work with site walks.
What people wear
Business casual; professional for hearings.
Remote reality
Hybrid; hearings and site work are in person.
Workplace culture: what's normal here
- Public comment can be heated; staying neutral and factual is the job.
- Recommendations are advisory — elected bodies decide.
- Everything you write may become part of a public record.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Work Environment, with regional detail for the DMV.
Official data behind this career
Federal statistics for DMV Region, translated into plain language.
Data unavailable for this category.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metro area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP03, DP02, DP05)
- The DMV functions as one labor market: workers routinely cross state lines to get to work.
- The largest employment destinations are D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County.
Top places these workers go to work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA regional GDP and personal income, most recent published year
Private-sector payroll data from ADP. It is a supplemental near-real-time indicator and does not replace BLS government employment statistics.
Source: ADP National Employment Report — Most recent monthly ADP National Employment Report
- 1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH, OEWS, Employment Projections, CES) — Primary source for occupation wages, outlook, projected openings, education and training.
- 2U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey — Primary source for income, educational attainment, labor force and demographic context by place.
- 3Census LEHD (LODES / OnTheMap) — Primary source for where workers live versus where they work, and local workforce flows.
- 4U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Primary source for regional GDP, industry contribution, compensation and personal income.
- 5ADP National Employment Report — Supplemental near-real-time private-sector employment and pay indicator. Not a replacement for BLS.
Figures describe groups of workers, not any one person. Where an official figure is not published for a category, this page says “Data unavailable for this category.” rather than estimating.
Related Careers
Explore similar occupations with overlapping skills.
Research law, draft documents, and keep cases organized.
Respond to emergencies, provide medical care, and protect the community.
Respond to calls, investigate, and work with the community.
Advise clients, argue cases, and navigate the legal system.