OTTAWA, December 20, 2023 – The national, provincial, and territorial planning institutes and associations are pleased to release the results of the 2023 Canadian Professional Planners National Employment Survey Report.

The survey results provide an updated picture of the state of employment for professional planners in Canada. The survey found that the majority of respondents are working in hybrid environments, career intentions did not change significantly over the course of the pandemic, and most are satisfied to very satisfied with their current position.

Compensation Findings

  • The wages of professional planners (RPP, LPP, Urbaniste, or equivalent designation in Canada) increased by 18% since 2019. The average salary of a professional planner is over $10,000 more than the average salary of all respondents.
  • The average salary for Candidate members increased by 21% since 2019.

Hybrid and Remote Work Findings

  • Following the pandemic, almost two-thirds of respondents (63%) have a hybrid working model, 29% are back in the office (29%), and 7% are fully remote.
  • Of those working fully remote or within a hybrid model, 91% are very satisfied or satisfied with their work arrangement, compared with 78% satisfaction of those working fully in-office/on-site.

Job Satisfaction Findings

  • Over three-quarters of respondents (77%) state that their career intentions and/or plans have not changed since the pandemic.
  • 79% of respondents are very satisfied or satisfied with their work/life balance. Those who make a higher average salary and/or are in more senior positions, however, are more likely to be dissatisfied with their work/life balance.
  • Respondents’ top three reasons for changing jobs or employers in the last 12 to 18 months are to increase their compensation (39%), to achieve a position with greater advancement opportunities (36%), and/or to secure a more senior position/responsibility (35%).

Equity and Diversity Findings

  • While both men and women have enjoyed a 16% increase in salaries since 2019, there continues to be a gender wage gap of almost $15,000 in earnings between men and women.
  • Approximately one-quarter (24%) of survey respondents identify as belonging to an equity-deserving group, and, on average, earn 10% less than those who did not self-identify.

Hiring Findings

  • Half of respondents anticipate hiring more professional and/or candidate planners in the next 12 to 18 months.
  • Two-thirds of respondents (67%) reported that their firms had planning-related job vacancies in the last 12 months, with the highest rate reported in Alberta (73%).
  • The top three reasons given for difficulties in filling vacancies were candidates lacking the necessary experience (41%), a poor fit with candidates’ qualifications (38%), and unrealistic compensation expectations by the candidate (19%).

The first iteration of this national survey, published as the Canadian Professional Planners National Compensation & Benefits Survey Report, was released in 2019. The survey for the 2023 report was open from September 6 to October 16, 2023. In total, 1,727 planners from across Canada responded. This represents an 18% response rate. This survey is not necessarily representative of the complete professional planning membership in Canada or the total population of individuals in these positions or locales.

The Canadian Institute of Planners invites you to register for our upcoming webinar, which will highlight the results of this year’s survey and provide points of comparison to the results of the 2019 report. The webinar will be held on January 10, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. ET. Click here to register.

Thank you to all professional planners who participated in the survey and to the following organizations, which provided financial and administrative support:

  • Canadian Institute of Planners
  • Alberta Professional Planners Institute
  • Atlantic Planners Institute
    Licensed Professional Planners Association of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Professional Planners, New Brunswick Association of Planners, and the Prince Edward Island Institute of Professional Planners
  • Ontario Professional Planners Institute
  • Manitoba Professional Planners Institute
  • Planning Institute of British Columbia
  • Saskatchewan Professional Planners Institute

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Media contact:

Lauren Murray (she/her)
Manager, Communications
800.207.2138 x 207
communications@cip-icu.ca

The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) works on behalf of over 9,000 diverse planning professionals and has served as the voice of Canada’s planning community since 1919. Planners safeguard the health and well-being of urban and rural communities by addressing the use of land, resources, facilities, and services with consideration to physical, economic, and social efficiency.