Also called: Zoning Hearing Officer, Hearing Examiner (Land Use)
Acts like a judge for zoning and building fights, holding hearings and deciding whether projects can go forward.
You open a hearing on a proposed apartment building: the developer’s lawyer, a planner and angry neighbors all testify. You ask questions, review the code and maps, and later write a decision that explains the law in plain words.
Estimated; some work part-time on contract for several towns.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 9 years after high school. Law degree (JD) or planning master's plus years of land-use experience.
Ways in: Graduate school, Professional school, On-the-job training. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Law, Urban Planning, Public Administration.
Growing about average. Many cities and counties use examiners; few positions open each year.
Low risk for 10 years. AI can summarize records, but deciding cases in public hearings is legal work for a person.
Classes: Government, English, Debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 23-1021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.