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City planner vs civil engineer

The differences between city planners and civil engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a city planner, becoming a civil engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a civil engineer has an average salary of $70,950, which is higher than the $64,562 average annual salary of a city planner.

The top three skills for a city planner include planning commission, GIS and regional planning. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.

City planner vs civil engineer overview

City PlannerCivil Engineer
Yearly salary$64,562$70,950
Hourly rate$31.04$34.11
Growth rate4%7%
Number of jobs18,74726,803
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4241
Years of experience26

City planner vs civil engineer salary

City planners and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

City PlannerCivil Engineer
Average salary$64,562$70,950
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $88,000Between $51,000 And $97,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyCitiThe Citadel
Best paying industryGovernmentConstruction

Differences between city planner and civil engineer education

There are a few differences between a city planner and a civil engineer in terms of educational background:

City PlannerCivil Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorUrban PlanningCivil Engineering
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

City planner vs civil engineer demographics

Here are the differences between city planners' and civil engineers' demographics:

City PlannerCivil Engineer
Average age4241
Gender ratioMale, 64.7% Female, 35.3%Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 15.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage13%5%

Differences between city planner and civil engineer duties and responsibilities

City planner example responsibilities.

  • Guide production planning activities ranging from developing and revising production schedules, forecasting trends and customer demand, and managing logistics.
  • Utilize planning relate software and GIS applications; and basic statistics and mathematical calculations.
  • Direct inbound or outbound logistics operations, such as transportation or warehouse activities, safety performance, or logistics quality management.
  • Construct engaging PowerPoint presentations for clients.

Civil engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage production of full sets of contract documents (grading, drainage, water, sewer, paving and SWPPP).
  • Manage project programming requirements and manage HVAC design activities.
  • Project manage the overall reorganizing and restructuring of the telecommunication department.
  • Design engineer and project manager for HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection systems.
  • Support and troubleshoot Hewlett Packard printers, servers, switches, thin clients, and Cisco phone systems.
  • Handle and continuously update project documentation as as-built records and construction record reports.
  • Show more

City planner vs civil engineer skills

Common city planner skills
  • Planning Commission, 9%
  • GIS, 7%
  • Regional Planning, 6%
  • City Planning, 6%
  • Community Development, 5%
  • City Ordinances, 5%
Common civil engineer skills
  • Civil 3D, 11%
  • Engineering Design, 7%
  • Cost Estimates, 7%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Construction Projects, 4%
  • Engineering Projects, 4%

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