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Job outlook for senior planning analysts in the United States
Senior planning analyst job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior planning analyst job growth rate is 11% from 2018-2028.
About 108,400 new jobs for senior planning analysts are projected over the next decade.
Senior planning analyst salaries have increased 8% for senior planning analysts in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,046 senior planning analysts currently employed in the United States.
There are 84,455 active senior planning analyst job openings in the US.
The average senior planning analyst salary is $79,238.
Are senior planning analyst jobs in demand?
Senior planning analyst job and salary trends over time
Senior planning analyst jobs over time
Senior planning analyst job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,046 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 5,775 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 5,584 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 5,385 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 5,187 | 0.00% |
Average senior planning analyst salary over time
Senior planning analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $79,238 | $38.10 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $77,069 | $37.05 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $75,578 | $36.34 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $74,529 | $35.83 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $73,517 | $35.34 | +0.0% |
Senior planning analyst jobs by state
Most common states for senior planning analysts
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 714 | 103% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,253 | 27% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,351 | 20% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 189 | 20% |
| 5 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,177 | 19% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 859 | 15% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 155 | 15% |
| 8 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,785 | 14% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 987 | 13% |
| 10 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 726 | 13% |
| 11 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 394 | 13% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 80 | 13% |
| 13 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,209 | 12% |
| 14 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 514 | 12% |
| 15 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 67 | 12% |
| 16 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,208 | 11% |
| 17 | New York | 19,849,399 | 2,199 | 11% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,163 | 11% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,011 | 11% |
| 20 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 150 | 11% |
Most common cities for senior planning analysts
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burbank | 3 | 3% | $86,871 |
| 2 | Arlington Heights | 2 | 3% | $78,686 |
| 3 | Evansville | 2 | 2% | $61,689 |
| 4 | Hartford | 2 | 2% | $80,439 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 5 | 1% | $74,539 |
| 6 | Tampa | 3 | 1% | $68,188 |
| 7 | Bridgeport | 2 | 1% | $80,310 |
| 8 | Columbus | 2 | 1% | $73,381 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids | 2 | 1% | $82,921 |
| 10 | Huntsville | 2 | 1% | $73,228 |
| 11 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $68,334 |
| 12 | Overland Park | 2 | 1% | $61,560 |
| 13 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $78,728 |
| 14 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $87,184 |
| 15 | Detroit | 2 | 0% | $84,074 |
| 16 | Jacksonville | 2 | 0% | $69,031 |
| 17 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $67,188 |
Senior Planning Analyst job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior planning analyst experts
UMass Lowell
University of Cincinnati Clermont College
University of Washington
University of Southern Maine
Western Kentucky University
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
University of California, Santa Cruz
Ottawa University at Overland Park
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Manhattan College
Drexel University
University of New Mexico
University of Wyoming
San Francisco State University
Fairfield University
Pennsylvania State University
Wake Forest University
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Masters of Science in EntrepreneurshipUMass Lowell
Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: Obviously we are seeing a tremendous increase in AI and other digital technologies. These will become a more crucial skill set for many careers going forward. But I wouldn't downplay the role of what are traditionally seen as soft skills like empathy, communications, and judgment. Not only can these distinguish you from robots but from your human competitors as well.
What will help Senior Planning Analysts increase their earning potential?
Michael Ciuchta Ph.D.: If all you want is the highest potential starting salary, then you should aim for careers that offer them. But that is a shortsighted way to view things. For example, many careers that have tournament-like pay structures (think entertainment) often have very low starting salaries but the so-called winners enjoy outsized financial gains. If you are thinking about a more traditional career, I think it's important to make sure you are more valuable to your employer than they are to you. This means you have to market yourself, both to your current employer as well as to potential ones. Of course, this approach may not be for everyone and maximizing your salary potential is only one thing you should be considering when assessing job and career opportunities.
Renee Robinson Ph.D.
Professor of CommunicationWhat Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Renee Robinson Ph.D.: What skills do you think will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years?
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. David Powell Ph.D.: Public administration is always a good field to enter as government touches the lives of everyone on a daily basis. Public administration careers are also very stable as most public administrators are civil servants. As such, they are hired, and keep their positions, based upon their qualifications and performance.
Keith Kerr Prof.
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Keith Kerr Prof.: There are two basic ways that most people in the US find financial success: Either find a job that pays a high salary, or find a career that you love, regardless of the salary, and make a habit of saving and investing part of your income each month starting with your first paycheck.
If you invest only $90 a month starting at 21 and ending at retirement, you would have a bit over 1 million dollars (assuming a 10% annual gain). Wait just 5 years and start doing this at 26 and your 5 years of time will have cost you $400,000 by retirement. This is the power of compounding. Start early and even with a lower salary, you still can find financial success while pursuing careers that are meaningful to you.
What will help Senior Planning Analysts increase their earning potential?
Keith Kerr Prof.: Grant writing is perhaps the most important skill for sociology majors to acquire. Not all sociology programs offer such skills (luckily my department at Quinnipiac does), but all sociology programs offer courses in research methodology. These skills are all skills that are needed to successfully write grants.
More so, with the research skills and practice in grant writing, one is in a position to approach potential employers as a hire that will more than pay for itself in the grant money that the potential employee can bring into the organization.
Fawen Zhang PhD
Professor of AudiologyUniversity of Cincinnati Clermont College
Communication Disorders Sciences And Services
What will help Senior Planning Analysts increase their earning potential?
Fawen Zhang PhD: This is perfect! Thank you so much. We will be sure to feature your response in the article and send a draft over for your review before we promote it.
What will help Senior Planning Analysts increase their earning potential?
Victor Menaldo: Develop oral communication skills that allow you to speak in an articulate manner and organize your thoughts to signal your competence, knowledge, work ethic, and willingness to keep learning and improving.
Tove Rasmussen
LecturerUniversity of Southern Maine
Specialized Sales, Merchandising And Marketing Operations
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen advises graduates beginning their career in the field to...
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tove Rasmussen: Tove Rasmussen believes that the skills that will become more important and prevalent in the field in the next 3-5 years are...
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Timothy Rich PhD: Think about the types of jobs that interest you and the skills necessary for those jobs early. So many students start thinking about post-graduation life spring their senior year, when it should be an incremental process much earlier. Another pieces of advice would be to talk to faculty and alum about your interests, find internship or research opportunities when possible, and try to figure out early your strengths and weaknesses. It's easy for students, especially high performing ones, to not fully consider what their weaknesses are. I encourage students to jot down what they see as their skills too and to share them with others. It helps them to identify what's a common skill versus something that might make them stick out.
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.
ProfessorJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Being able to negotiate a salary is also a skill that students need to learn and one that is rarely taught in college. Students need to be able to ask for more than they are offered, but also take jobs at entry levels, prove themselves and then ask for an increase in pay six months into the job after they have shown that they are doing the work and achieving their goals.
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Shonna Trinch Ph.D.: Analysis and critical thinking, writing and making strong arguments are indispensable job market skills. Concepts such as 'ethnicity,' 'gender' and 'minority' are constructed in social and historical spaces and times, and students with college degrees can help de-naturalize these categories to make others understand how policy, programming and marketing might not be achieving their stated goals.
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Stephanie Lain Ph.D.: I would advise graduates to be open to considering jobs in lots of different fields. The skills acquired through their major- such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and writing- are ones that transfer well to a variety of situations.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Russ McCullough PhD: Business Economics is a degree that can open many doors for careers. You can feel confident applying to positions that are open to many business degrees because economics gives you a quantitative edge over many other degrees. Therefore, I recommend that you create a vision of the type of job you see yourself at in 10 years and apply to positions now that help you build the skill set to get there. For example, if you are a good communicator, look for some more sales oriented positions. If you are more of a number cruncher, then look for more analyst oriented positions. Smaller companies will likely have more cross-training experiences available while large corporations will likely focus your skills in on a particular area.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Dr. Paige Novak P.E. (Minnesota), BCEE: Ask questions, stay curious and open minded, take opportunities to learn and develop new skills.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: First, learn everything about the company you just started working for - its historical path, management, the way it's dealt with crises, etc. Second, learn everything about the specific industry the company belongs to and see how the company has developed relative to the development of the industry domestically and internationally. Third, always be extremely alert to notice new opportunities and be prepared to take calculated risks. That is, actively look for opportunities to complete as many and diverse tasks as possible, and volunteer to complete any type of work regardless of whether it seems relevant to your assigned job or not. Opportunities to learn, grow, and improve and thus to maximize your income, will only come up if you are exposed to diverse situations.
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Natalia Boliari PhD: Be open minded. Finance is the broad definition of an industry which provides opportunities for careers in financial consultancy, financial analysis, stock brokerage, foreign investment, modeling, exchange rate forecasts, and many more. While most of those careers are attributed to the banking industry, you can find those and others in other sectors of the economy, such as insurance, technology, health care/medical, government, and so on. So, be open and look beyond the banking sector, examine the current and predicted trends in the economy to hunt for exciting career options.
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Mark Stehr PhD: At the start of your career, it's very important to land a role where you learn a lot and find good mentors. The additional skills will pay dividends as your career progresses.
Dr. Maggie Siebert Ph.D.
Epidemiologist, NMDOHUniversity of New Mexico
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
What will help Senior Planning Analysts increase their earning potential?
Dr. Maggie Siebert Ph.D.: Programming languages for reporting, querying, and optimizing/automating
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lars Kotthoff: Anything and everything related to AI, but in particular being able to cut through the hype and being able to assess new technologies realistically.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Jennifer Shea Ph.D.: Be open to a wide range of opportunities and experiences. There are many different ways to get to your “dream job” and many paths are not linear. You might discover a new passion or learn about innovations in the field that are adjacent to your interests but could very much benefit the programs/policies/organizations that you work with and care about. Also, do not underestimate the power of meaningful networks – take time to develop relationships with colleagues in and out of your immediate team or office.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
John McDermott Ph.D.: To maximize your salary potential, keep learning, investing in your human capital, and expanding your capabilities. Learn as much as you can about your new position and industry, work with a variety of people at your firm, and seek opportunities outside your comfort zone. Your salary potential will increase as you are recognized as a capable and hard working colleague.
Dr. Jennifer Eury Ph.D.
Undergraduate Management Major Program Coordinator and Clinical Associate Professor of Management and OrganizationPennsylvania State University
Management Sciences And Quantitative Methods
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Dr. Jennifer Eury Ph.D.: For graduates, especially recent graduates, seeking to maximize their salary potential, especially when they are starting a full-time position, I encourage them to continue to keep learning. Stay current with industry trends. Take advantage of training opportunities available to you in your workplace. Talk with others, especially those who have worked in the field for some time, about ways to strengthen your skill set. I also encourage recent graduates to be willing to take on a new assignment, to be a part of a new committee – all in the spirit of continuing to learn more about their field. Over time, you can garner information power, or even expert power, and develop a reputation for being a valuable resource in your organization and field.
What will help Senior Planning Analysts increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jennifer Eury Ph.D.: In the next 3-5 years, I suspect a variety of skills will be important. I would argue, though, that the skills that will be most important are not necessarily “new” skills – they are leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and ethical decision-making skills – arguably skills we need more now than ever before. Considering the current state of affairs – here, in the U.S. and around the world – we need people with strong leadership capabilities, people who can work well with others, and people who will engage in and promote ethical behavior. I should also add, that within the Smeal College of Business at Penn State, and specifically through our management coursework, we are helping students to develop knowledge, skills, and abilities in ethical, inclusive, strategic, and sustainable thinking; culture; interpersonal/relational; leadership/influence; managerial functions; teamwork/collaboration; and understanding the business environment.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Planning Analyst?
Dr. Mark Evans: Add value beyond what you are asked to do. Take ownership of your work. Volunteer for the most difficult jobs and clients.
What Senior Planning Analyst skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mark Evans: Don't stop learning. Treat your first job like more graduate school. Learn everything you can.