NOC 21202: Urban and land use planners
What urban and land use planners do
Urban and land use planners develop plans and recommend policies for managing land use, physical facilities and associated services for urban and rural areas and remote regions. They are employed by all levels of government, land developers, engineering and other consulting companies, or may work as private consultants.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Compile and analyze data on demographic, economic, legal, political, cultural, sociological, physical and other factors affecting land use
- Confer with municipal, provincial and federal authorities, civic leaders, social scientists, lawyers, land developers, the public and special interest groups to formulate and develop land use or community plans
- Prepare and recommend land development concepts and plans for zoning, subdivisions, transportation, public utilities, community facilities, parks, agricultural and other land uses
- Prepare plans for environmental protection, such as wildlife preserves, national and provincial parks, and protection of watersheds
- Present plans to civic, rural and regional authorities and hold public meetings to present plans, proposals or planning studies to the general public and special interest groups
- Review and evaluate proposals for land use and development plans and prepare recommendations
- Process application for land development permits and administer land use plans and zoning by-laws
- Formulate long-range objectives and policies relative to future land use and the protection of the environment
- Supervise and coordinate work of urban planning technicians and technologists.
Job titles under NOC 21202
29 job titles are classified here, including community and urban planner, environmental planner, land use planner.
- city planner
- city planner - land use
- community and urban planner
- community planner
- community recreation planner
- environmental planner
- heritage planner - land use
- heritage work planner
- land use planner
- land use specialist
- long-range planner - land use
- mass transit services analyst
- municipal park planner
- municipal planner
- neighbourhood planner
- park planner
- planner
- planning analyst - land use
- recreation planner
- regional planner
- senior planner - land use
- site planner
- town planner
- transportation planner
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning, geography, architecture, engineering or a related discipline is required.
- A master's degree in one of these disciplines may be required.
- Membership in the Canadian Institute of Planners is usually required.
- Urban and land use planners are regulated in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and membership in a provincial planning institute may be required in other provinces.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is offered by the Canada Green Building Council and may be required by some employers.
Urban and land use planners wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $28.21/hr | $46.15/hr | $65.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $26.00/hr | $47.38/hr | $77.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $30.00/hr | $45.49/hr | $66.87/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $32.21/hr | $43.07/hr | $60.12/hr |
Calgary AB | $35.71/hr | $52.79/hr | $75.82/hr |
Edmonton AB | $24.04/hr | $53.85/hr | $91.35/hr |
Ottawa ON | $32.88/hr | $47.03/hr | $69.79/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $30.00/hr | $43.00/hr | $62.64/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $32.11/hr | $47.17/hr | $70.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $31.44/hr | $46.18/hr | $65.66/hr |
London ON | $30.40/hr | $43.81/hr | $64.97/hr |
Halifax NS | $28.75/hr | $40.49/hr | $59.47/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $35.29/hr | $47.51/hr | $59.34/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $33.26/hr | $48.86/hr | $73.68/hr |
Nova Scotia | $28.54/hr | $42.19/hr | $63.49/hr |
New Brunswick | $28.42/hr | $40.89/hr | $63.58/hr |
Quebec | $30.00/hr | $43.00/hr | $62.64/hr |
Ontario | $27.56/hr | $47.38/hr | $76.00/hr |
Manitoba | $26.15/hr | $44.71/hr | $60.44/hr |
Saskatchewan | $21.50/hr | $40.10/hr | $53.00/hr |
Alberta | $24.04/hr | $52.50/hr | $65.00/hr |
British Columbia | $35.29/hr | $46.04/hr | $59.34/hr |
Using NOC 21202 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 29 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Architects (NOC 21200)
- Architecture and science managers (NOC 20011)
- Engineering managers (NOC 20010)
- Land surveyors (NOC 21203)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for urban and land use planners?
Urban and land use planners are NOC 2021 unit group 21202. Example job titles in this group include community and urban planner, environmental planner, land use planner, municipal planner.
What TEER is NOC 21202?
NOC 21202 is TEER 1 (University degree). Usually requires a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate), or experience from a related TEER 2 occupation. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do urban and land use planners earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $46.15/hr, about $90,000 a year full-time, with a range of $28.21/hr to $65.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.