Environmental Planners
Overview
Introduction
Environmental planning is a relatively new field; it emerged in the 1970s in response to the environmental movement. Environmental planners are essentially urban planners who focus on sustainable development. They aim to use land in the most efficient way possible, incorporating green building technologies and renewable energy into designs and systems, and preserving ecosystems and environmentally sensitive areas. Planners help manage the growth of cities and ensure that planning designs and systems, such as for construction or tran...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Salaries specific to environmental planners are not included in the reports by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS does show, however, that in May 2018 urban and regional planners had median annual incomes of $73,050, with the lowest paid 10 percent earning less than $45,180 and the top paid 10 percent earning $114,170 or more. Those working for federal government agencies averag...
Work Environment
Environmental planners often work 40 hours per week or more. Their schedules vary based on the intensity and complexity of the projects they are working on and the deadlines. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends is often required to accomplish job goals. Planners travel to meetings with clients and citizens' groups, to public hearings, and to project sites. Environmental planning work can ...
Outlook
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment for urban and regional planners will grow 11 percent through 2028, or much faster the average for all careers. State and local governments will need to provide more public services such as regulation of the environment, commercial development, transportation, housing, and land use for the growing population. Local governments employ about 71...
