Urban and Regional Planners salary in the U.S.
Urban and Regional Planners in the U.S. earn a median of $89,320 a year ($42.94 an hour), based on BLS data for 44,230 workers.
Pay ranges from $60,010 for the lowest-paid 10% to $134,490 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $94,750, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for urban and regional planners in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $60,010 | $28.85 |
| 25th percentile | $72,020 | $34.63 |
| Median | $89,320 | $42.94 |
| 75th percentile | $110,030 | $52.90 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $134,490 | $64.66 |
| Average (mean) | $94,750 | $45.55 |
Half of urban and regional planners earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $7,443.33 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $3,721.67 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $3,435.38 |
| Weekly | $1,717.69 |
| Hourly | $42.94 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Urban and Regional Planners salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $137,000 | 120 |
| California | $109,610 | 7,460 |
| Oregon | $103,070 | 1,010 |
| Arizona | $102,400 | 1,330 |
| Colorado | $101,340 | 1,300 |
| Washington | $100,990 | 3,180 |
| Nevada | $100,040 | 270 |
| Connecticut | $99,880 | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $99,780 | 1,540 |
| Minnesota | $97,060 | 860 |
| Alaska | $93,860 | 230 |
| Illinois | $91,360 | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $90,210 | 160 |
| New York | $89,630 | 2,420 |
| Guam | $88,610 | 60 |
| Maryland | $88,570 | 900 |
| New Jersey | $86,280 | 790 |
| Virginia | $86,030 | 1,740 |
| Hawaii | $85,590 | 450 |
| Vermont | $84,750 | 100 |
| Utah | $84,360 | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $84,290 | 1,100 |
| Texas | $82,830 | 2,190 |
| Kansas | $82,330 | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $81,520 | 350 |
| North Carolina | $81,230 | 1,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,810 | 860 |
| Montana | $80,770 | 270 |
| Florida | $80,720 | 2,620 |
| Missouri | $80,720 | 440 |
| Georgia | $80,030 | 1,150 |
| Ohio | $79,950 | 760 |
| Maine | $79,120 | 190 |
| Iowa | $79,100 | 300 |
| Tennessee | $78,970 | 310 |
| Michigan | $78,510 | 1,380 |
| North Dakota | $78,500 | 210 |
| New Mexico | $77,710 | 270 |
| Idaho | $76,500 | 350 |
| South Carolina | $75,810 | 530 |
| Nebraska | $74,830 | 360 |
| Louisiana | $74,500 | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $73,860 | 260 |
| South Dakota | $71,180 | 210 |
| Indiana | $70,760 | 620 |
| Alabama | $70,710 | 520 |
| Wyoming | $70,190 | 110 |
| Delaware | $67,110 | 290 |
| Kentucky | $65,000 | 180 |
| Arkansas | $63,530 | 80 |
| West Virginia | $61,390 | 160 |
| Mississippi | $60,300 | 200 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,600 | 90 |
Best-paying metro areas for urban and regional planners
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,360 | 320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $136,250 | 1,250 |
| Vallejo, CA | $129,790 | 70 |
| Napa, CA | $128,530 | 30 |
| Salinas, CA | $125,300 | 100 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $123,090 | 110 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $112,270 | 100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $111,380 | 1,920 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $110,520 | 110 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $109,920 | 100 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $109,150 | 50 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $108,760 | 490 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $108,040 | 1,430 |
| Salem, OR | $107,960 | 130 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $107,710 | 760 |
Metro areas with the most urban and regional planners
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,920 | $111,380 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,570 | $99,150 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,430 | $108,040 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1,250 | $136,250 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,250 | $104,770 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,100 | $103,460 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,020 | $96,580 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,000 | $107,470 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 800 | $98,840 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 760 | $107,710 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 750 | $81,240 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 750 | $95,640 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 740 | $97,160 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 670 | $105,890 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 660 | $83,520 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | $100,580 | $48.36 |
| School Psychologist | $95,990 | $46.15 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $101,110 | $48.61 |
| Psychologists, All Other | $110,840 | $53.29 |
| Economist | $124,720 | $59.96 |
| Anthropologists and Archeologists | $70,770 | $34.02 |
| Survey Researcher | $69,460 | $33.40 |
| Political Scientist | $142,080 | $68.31 |
| Historian | $76,750 | $36.90 |
| Sociologist | $106,030 | $50.98 |
| Geographer | $102,040 | $49.06 |
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 | $93.24 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 | $49.72 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | $90,150 | $43.34 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 19-3051. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a urban and regional planners make in the U.S.?
The median salary for urban and regional planners in the U.S. is $89,320 a year, or $42.94 an hour. Pay ranges from $60,010 for the lowest-paid 10% to $134,490 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid urban and regional planners make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of urban and regional planners in the U.S. earn at least $134,490 a year. The top 25% earn $110,030 or more.
What is the starting pay for urban and regional planners in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $60,010 a year, and a quarter of urban and regional planners earn $72,020 or less.
How many urban and regional planners work in the U.S.?
About 44,230 urban and regional planners are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.