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The differences between planning technicians and planning 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 planning technician, becoming a planning engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a planning engineer has an average salary of $82,521, 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 planning engineer are project management, infrastructure, and transmission planning.
| Planning Technician | Planning Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,502 | $82,521 |
| Hourly rate | $21.88 | $39.67 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 19,118 | 56,792 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
A planning engineer is in charge of developing plans and systems to organize and schedule project procedures, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities revolve around learning and understanding the extent of all operations, setting schedules and objectives, liaising with external parties such as vendors or distributors, and maintaining an active communication line with other departments. Furthermore, a planning engineer must monitor the progress of the workflow and the performance of the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Planning technicians and planning engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Planning Technician | Planning Engineer | |
| Average salary | $45,502 | $82,521 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $72,000 | Between $61,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Energy |
There are a few differences between a planning technician and a planning engineer in terms of educational background:
| Planning Technician | Planning Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between planning technicians' and planning engineers' demographics:
| Planning Technician | Planning Engineer | |
| Average age | 38 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.6% Female, 45.4% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 15.6% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |