Employment of urban and regional planners is projected to grow 4% from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 3,800 openings for urban and regional planners are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as retirement (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022).
According to the IUPUI First Destination Survey in 2021, the average starting salary reported for O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs graduates with a bachelor's degree was $45,726, and the median salary was $45,500.
The national median annual salary for urban and regional planners was $78,500 in 2021 (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022).
(This section is intended for informational purposes, not prediction of actual salary.)
Policy studies majors often pursue advanced degrees in the following areas:
- Business administration (M.B.A.)
- Law
- Public administration (M.P.A.)