Urban and Regional Planners
Life, Physical, and Social Science · SOC 19-3051
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 19-3051 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 9.6%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 53/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $89,320
- H-1B offered wage $81,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 4,200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +3.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 240
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 8,607 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~47.7% of this role but only ~9.6% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.
Common titles: City Planner, Community Development Planner, Community Planner, Development Technician, Housing Development Specialist, Neighborhood Planner
Representative Tasks
- •Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation.
- •Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives.
- •Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density.
- •Hold public meetings with government officials, social scientists, lawyers, developers, the public, or special interest groups to formulate, develop, or address issues regarding land use or community plans.
- •Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Design civil structures or systems.
- •Inform the public about policies, services or procedures.
- •Advise others on business or operational matters.
- •Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
- •Communicate with the public on environmental issues.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 9.6% | 9.7% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 37% Bright |
| Median Salary | $89,320 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 90/100 | N/A |