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The differences between urban planners and architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an urban planner, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an architect has an average salary of $86,635, which is higher than the $65,316 average annual salary of an urban planner.
The top three skills for an urban planner include GIS, infrastructure and visualization. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.
| Urban Planner | Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $65,316 | $86,635 |
| Hourly rate | $31.40 | $41.65 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 13,883 | 94,621 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
An urban planner is responsible for evaluating land use and condition and providing comprehensive plans and programs that would be beneficial for the entire community. Urban planners' tasks also cover conducting field investigations and collect environmental studies, performing market research and creating proposals for approval of the officials, reviewing recommendations and addressing issues which concern the land and resources, and strategizing comprehensive area plans. An urban planner must consider the community's best interest that would promote growth and development.
Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".
Urban planners and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Urban Planner | Architect | |
| Average salary | $65,316 | $86,635 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $89,000 | Between $54,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Mapbox | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between an urban planner and an architect in terms of educational background:
| Urban Planner | Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Urban Planning | Architecture |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between urban planners' and architects' demographics:
| Urban Planner | Architect | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 9.3% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 15% |