UK AI JobsExpected · in use · happened
UK AI Jobs/Managerial/Town planner
Mixed signals

Town planner

12.5K UK workers · typical pay £35,500 · entry route Postgraduate degree (Level 7+). Projected headcount change: +5% to 2035.

How AI is actually used here · measured · Anthropic Economic Index
52%
Augmentation
AI mostly assists
9.5×
Time compression
~6.1h → ~38min
2.78/5
AI autonomy
how hands-off it runs
48%
Automation
of measured usage
How the collaboration splits · the six measured modes
directive 34.5%task iteration 31%learning 14.7%feedback loop 12.6%validation 5.8%unclassified 1.5%
What people make with AI here
document / report23%advice / recommendation22%analysis / summary16%

Real Claude.ai usage mapped to this occupation's SOC group, Apr+May 2026, CC-BY. Claude users only; task times model-estimated; augment/automate is how AI is used, not a count of jobs lost. Method →

Facts · ONS + NCS
UK workers (2024)
12.5K
Median pay
£35.5K
Our scored call · a labelled hypothesis, not a measurement
AI exposure
6 / 10
Elasticity
6.5 / 10
2035 outlook
+5%
Exposure · 6/10
Why AI can do the work

Town planning involves significant digital knowledge work, including data analysis, report writing, and regulatory assessment, all of which are highly susceptible to AI augmentation. However, the role is anchored by the need for site visits, public consultations, and complex stakeholder negotiations that require human judgment and physical presence.

Elasticity · 6.5/10
Gated by regulation
Whether demand expands when it gets cheaper

Cheaper planning services unlock a massive backlog of small-to-medium development projects and urban redesigns that are currently cost-prohibitive, though still constrained by land availability.

Trajectory to 2035

Headcount drifts +5% across 12 years.

Adoption scenario
×1.00 · Consensus

Change the scenario in the nav to reshape this curve.

Headcount projection · 2024 → 2035
Baseline 12.5K workers (2024) · % change vs baseline
Peak 2027 +8%2035 +5%
Peak 20272024202620282030203220342035-7%+0%+10%+5%
Peak headcount
2027
+8% vs 2024
2035 endpoint
+5%
13.1K workers
Time to −10%
Never crosses in model
Total wage pool
£0.4B
pay × jobs
Where this role lives

UK employment share by region, SOC-joined to 2452.

South East
13.5K · 31.8%
London
11.1K · 26.1%
South West
5.0K · 11.8%
North West
4.7K · 11.1%
Scotland
4.4K · 10.4%
Yorkshire and The Humber
3.8K · 8.9%
Gender split

Relatively balanced: 43.9% women.

21.9K women · 44%28.0K men · 56%
Career pivots · same category, higher elasticity

Five roles with transferable skills and better demand dynamics.

slug: town-planner · dataset 2026.03 · CC-BY-4.0