💡 Why it matters: Many cities already face flooding and heat, and future city governments will need specialists who design drainage, shade, early warnings and safe housing before disasters strike.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Lagos and other Nigerian cities already face flooding and heat.
- United States: Jobs for urban and regional planners are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, as fast as average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
A job of the future expected 2030s
As floods, heat and coastal erosion get worse, big cities will need a dedicated planner whose whole job is protecting neighbourhoods from climate shocks, not just a side task for general planners.
This is an informed prediction, not a promise. The skills below are useful whichever way the future goes.
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦2M – ₦4.5M
- Mid-career
- ₦4.5M – ₦10M
- Senior
- ₦10M – ₦22M
≈ ₦375k – ₦833k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Closest UK profile: Town planner. Typical starter to experienced salary. National Careers Service, 2026
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Urban and regional planners. Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Canadian occupation: Urban planner. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Map which neighbourhoods are most at risk from floods and heat
- Design plans for drainage, green spaces and safer housing
- Work with engineers, scientists and residents
- Measure whether protection projects are working
- Apply for funding for climate projects
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Systems thinking
- Mapping and data
- Communication
- Project planning
- Creativity
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Short courses in GIS mapping and climate risk from online or professional bodies
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Town planning degree apprenticeship
- Start as a planning assistant in a council
🇺🇸 United States
- GIS (digital mapping) certificate
- Internships in a city or regional planning office
🇨🇦 Canada
- College diploma in GIS or planning technology
- Start as a planning assistant in a municipality
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Be curious about weather, maps and cities at school
- 2Study planning, geography or environmental management
- 3Learn GIS (digital mapping) and climate basics
- 4Work in a planning or environment agency
- 5Specialise in resilience as the role becomes common
⏰ A day in the life
You look at flood maps showing which streets go underwater after heavy rain. Then you meet residents and engineers to agree on where to build new drains and plant trees, and update your risk plan.