Annual Salary
£18,000 to £45,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Town planners help shape the way towns and cities develop, and balance the demands on land with the needs of the community.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; attending events or appointments
There will be
2.4% more Town planner jobs in 2027.
You may work on projects to:
You could:
You could work in an office.
Your working environment may be you'll travel often.
You can get into this job through:
You'll need a degree or a postgraduate qualification accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Subjects include:
You can do postgraduate qualification in planning if you have a degree in an unrelated subject.
You'll usually need:
You could do a chartered town planner degree apprenticeship.
Most people following this route have:
You could qualify while working as a planning technician or other support role.
You'll need the backing of your employer and you'll combine practical experience with part-time or distance learning study towards an accredited planning qualification.
You'll find it useful to get as much work experience as possible. This will give you a better understanding of the career, and the contacts you make may help you to find paid work.
You can search for companies listed by the Royal Town Planning Institute or contact your local council to ask about opportunities.
You could join the Royal Town Planning Institute to work towards chartered status, find training opportunities and make industry contacts.
You can find out more about town planning as a career from the Royal Town Planning Institute.
With experience, you could apply for chartered town planner status, and then become a planner or senior planner. With at least 10 years' experience you could become a senior manager or planning consultant. You could work as a self-employed consultant.
You could also move into environmental management, urban regeneration, recreation management and property development.
You can find out more about town planning as a career from the Royal Town Planning Institute.
Town Planners use satellite data and images to understand how traffic moves through a city and how transport plans might effect congestion. They also use satellite data as a tool to inform planning decisions for site development to assess biodiversity and suitability for development.
Examples of post-16 courses you could study at a local school or college
Examples of post-18 courses you could study at a local provider in the South West
Apprenticeships you may be able to take with local employers
Search for apprenticeship vacancies
Employers in the South West
You'll need: