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The differences between planning technicians and planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a planning technician and a planner. Additionally, a planner has an average salary of $63,161, which is higher than the $45,502 average annual salary of a planning technician.
The top three skills for a planning technician include GIS, data collection and planning commission. The most important skills for a planner are customer service, exceptional client, and logistics.
| Planning Technician | Planner | |
| Yearly salary | $45,502 | $63,161 |
| Hourly rate | $21.88 | $30.37 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 19,118 | 15,269 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Planning technicians must have a wide skill set, including knowledge of planning principles and practices, data collection, effective writing techniques, and knowledge of statistics. It also demands an associate degree in urban planning, architecture, construction management, or social sciences, in addition to 2 years' experience in zoning administration. Those who choose this career path will need to respond to questions about planning permission application processes. They also collect, analyze, and record data on planning permission applications.
As the name entails, planners assist in creating a broad vision for a community. They conduct research, design, and advanced programs. Some of them focus on a few roles, such as planning transportation, while some will most likely work at different planning types throughout their profession. They develop a plan through data analysis, determine the project's goals or the community, and form a specific vision. They also identify the strategies to help the city realized its goals and vision.
Planning technicians and planners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Technician | Planner | |
| Average salary | $45,502 | $63,161 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $72,000 | Between $45,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between a planning technician and a planner in terms of educational background:
| Planning Technician | Planner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between planning technicians' and planners' demographics:
| Planning Technician | Planner | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 54.4% Female, 45.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 9.6% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |