What does a planning technician do?
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.
Planning technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real planning technician resumes:
- Design and manage an innovative human capital and knowledge management information technology systems (e.g., PeopleSoft).
- Map out sampling routes using a Trimble GeoExplorer GPS and ArcMap.
- Provide clients relevant information regarding real property data - I.e., addresses, GIS data and spatial imagery.
- Conduct schedule maintenance of equipment and vehicles including tractors, mowers, ATV's, pickups, and fire equipment.
- Research previous transportation studies and offer recommendations to improve roadway and corridor design as well as ways to mitigate regulatory delays.
- Experience in adhering to OSHA safety requirements for elevate industrial and high voltage electrical environments.
Planning technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Planning Technicians are proficient in GIS, Data Collection, and Planning Commission. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Planning Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- GIS, 17%
Received training in GIS, property description and MS Office through school board and Polk County Property Appraiser.
- Data Collection, 7%
Trained and supervised data collection staff.
- Planning Commission, 6%
Review building and sign permits from a zoning standpoint; finalize applications submitted to the Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment.
- Data Entry, 6%
Maintain and data entry of all incoming planning case files.
- Development Review, 6%
Assisted in researching, organizing and analyzing data and architectural plans in order to prepare planning and development reviews and presentations.
- Office Equipment, 6%
Operate a variety of office equipment including computers and associated word processing and spreadsheet applications.
Most planning technicians use their skills in "gis," "data collection," and "planning commission" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential planning technician responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a planning technician to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what planning technicians do because "urban and regional planners analyze information and data from a variety of sources, such as market research studies, censuses, and environmental impact studies." Additionally, a planning technician resume shows how planning technicians use analytical skills: "assisted with data collection and inventorying of various transportation projects. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling planning technician duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "urban and regional planners must be able to communicate clearly and effectively because they interact with colleagues and stakeholders, prepare research reports, give presentations, and meet with a wide variety of audiences, including public officials, interest groups, and community members." According to a planning technician resume, here's how planning technicians can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "completed all project management responsibilities including all client communication, estimates, construction, procurement, and logistics. "
Leadership skills. This is an important skill for planning technicians to perform their duties. For an example of how planning technician responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "urban and regional planners must be able to manage projects, which may include overseeing tasks and planning assignments." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a planning technician: "presented project overview and data analysis findings to senior leadership. ".
The three companies that hire the most planning technicians are:
- Prime Therapeutics41 planning technicians jobs
- Citi2 planning technicians jobs
- Danaher2 planning technicians jobs
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Compare different planning technicians
Planning technician vs. City planning aide
When it comes to planning an internship, an intern's duties will depend on the directives of supervising staff or a manager. Typically, an intern's responsibilities will revolve around performing clerical tasks such as processing documents, producing reports and presentations, responding to calls and correspondence, and managing schedules. There are also instances where an intern must share ideas and insights, attend meetings, maintain records, update databases, and assist staff in various tasks while under more experienced colleagues' supervision.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, planning technician responsibilities require skills like "gis," "data collection," "provide technical assistance," and "planning commission." Meanwhile a typical city planning aide has skills in areas such as "nyc," "blowers," "safety hazards," and "restoration projects." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, city planning aides reach lower levels of education than planning technicians. City planning aides are 6.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Planning technician vs. Planning aide
Planning assistants are paid around $38K per year. Individuals need knowledge of drafting, preparing preliminary design layouts, and analyzing information. Those who choose this career will be expected to initiate, prepare, and/or conduct surveys. They must also prepare analytical reports, preliminary designs, development plans, subdivision plans, recreational layouts, or special studies.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, planning technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "gis," "data collection," "provide technical assistance," and "data entry." Meanwhile, a planning aide has duties that require skills in areas such as "research methods," "assistance program," "general plan," and "traffic data." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Planning aides tend to reach higher levels of education than planning technicians. In fact, they're 5.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Planning technician vs. Planning internship
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from planning technician resumes include skills like "provide technical assistance," "data entry," "development review," and "office equipment," whereas a planning internship is more likely to list skills in "arcgis," "project management," "photoshop," and "transportation planning. "
Planning interns earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $41,003. Planning technicians earn the highest pay from the construction industry, with an average salary of $48,116.planning interns typically earn similar educational levels compared to planning technicians. Specifically, they're 3.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Planning technician vs. Planning assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
