Urban and regional planners salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,010 | $28.85 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $89,320 | $42.94 |
| Mean (average) | $94,750 | $45.55 |
| 90th percentile | $134,490 | $64.66 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Urban and regional planners pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $70,710 | $46,650 | $124,040 | 520 | 0.86 |
| Alaska | $93,860 | $60,420 | $112,930 | 230 | 2.51 |
| Arizona | $102,400 | $62,670 | $127,660 | 1,330 | 1.44 |
| Arkansas | $63,530 | $42,990 | $95,960 | 80 | 0.22 |
| California | $109,610 | $77,430 | $166,950 | 7,460 | 1.44 |
| Colorado | $101,340 | $69,670 | $140,750 | 1,300 | 1.59 |
| Connecticut | $99,880 | $72,300 | $140,090 | 350 | 0.73 |
| Delaware | $67,110 | $52,120 | $101,680 | 290 | 2.08 |
| District of Columbia | $137,000 | $98,410 | $170,980 | 120 | 0.58 |
| Florida | $80,720 | $52,930 | $129,350 | 2,620 | 0.93 |
| Georgia | $80,030 | $53,970 | $125,940 | 1,150 | 0.83 |
| Guam | $88,610 | $49,730 | $115,920 | 60 | 2.91 |
| Hawaii | $85,590 | $59,990 | $115,350 | 450 | 2.55 |
| Idaho | $76,500 | $48,990 | $105,540 | 350 | 1.43 |
| Illinois | $91,360 | $56,190 | $145,660 | 1,140 | 0.66 |
| Indiana | $70,760 | $47,110 | $101,480 | 620 | 0.68 |
| Iowa | $79,100 | $55,550 | $107,370 | 300 | 0.67 |
| Kansas | $82,330 | $58,930 | $128,320 | 250 | 0.62 |
| Kentucky | $65,000 | $49,690 | $106,330 | 180 | 0.31 |
| Louisiana | $74,500 | $52,510 | $115,980 | 240 | 0.44 |
| Maine | $79,120 | $56,480 | $112,810 | 190 | 1.03 |
| Maryland | $88,570 | $62,920 | $140,980 | 900 | 1.14 |
| Massachusetts | $99,780 | $69,150 | $134,310 | 1,540 | 1.48 |
| Michigan | $78,510 | $52,060 | $109,930 | 1,380 | 1.1 |
| Minnesota | $97,060 | $63,460 | $127,620 | 860 | 1.02 |
| Mississippi | $60,300 | $43,370 | $110,410 | 200 | 0.61 |
| Missouri | $80,720 | $52,710 | $128,250 | 440 | 0.53 |
| Montana | $80,770 | $57,310 | $109,970 | 270 | 1.88 |
| Nebraska | $74,830 | $53,770 | $99,820 | 360 | 1.24 |
| Nevada | $100,040 | $65,530 | $168,740 | 270 | 0.6 |
| New Hampshire | $73,860 | $55,900 | $109,240 | 260 | 1.32 |
| New Jersey | $86,280 | $60,990 | $137,790 | 790 | 0.65 |
| New Mexico | $77,710 | $57,750 | $104,730 | 270 | 1.11 |
| New York | $89,630 | $61,460 | $138,330 | 2,420 | 0.88 |
| North Carolina | $81,230 | $58,830 | $112,110 | 1,630 | 1.16 |
| North Dakota | $78,500 | $61,070 | $129,930 | 210 | 1.72 |
| Ohio | $79,950 | $53,800 | $113,020 | 760 | 0.48 |
| Oklahoma | $81,520 | $53,510 | $120,120 | 350 | 0.73 |
| Oregon | $103,070 | $68,630 | $132,290 | 1,010 | 1.8 |
| Pennsylvania | $80,810 | $52,010 | $111,070 | 860 | 0.5 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,600 | $34,500 | $81,720 | 90 | 0.34 |
| Rhode Island | $90,210 | $59,990 | $115,160 | 160 | 1.09 |
| South Carolina | $75,810 | $52,530 | $112,400 | 530 | 0.82 |
| South Dakota | $71,180 | $51,670 | $92,760 | 210 | 1.6 |
| Tennessee | $78,970 | $59,990 | $105,700 | 310 | 0.33 |
| Texas | $82,830 | $59,510 | $121,780 | 2,190 | 0.55 |
| Utah | $84,360 | $56,730 | $125,070 | 500 | 1.02 |
| Vermont | $84,750 | $61,400 | $103,540 | 100 | 1.18 |
| Virginia | $86,030 | $61,790 | $133,520 | 1,740 | 1.49 |
| Washington | $100,990 | $77,190 | $126,340 | 3,180 | 3.15 |
| West Virginia | $61,390 | $47,250 | $96,110 | 160 | 0.81 |
| Wisconsin | $84,290 | $50,230 | $116,240 | 1,100 | 1.31 |
| Wyoming | $70,190 | $52,230 | $110,170 | 110 | 1.34 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for urban and regional planners
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 3,200. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.9%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for urban and regional planners
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning CIP 04.0301
- Sustainable Design/Architecture CIP 04.0403
- Real Estate Development CIP 04.1001
- Sustainability Studies CIP 30.3301
- Design for Human Health CIP 30.3701
- Transportation and Infrastructure Planning/Studies CIP 44.0403
- Urban Studies/Affairs CIP 45.1201
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Design, promote, or administer government plans or policies affecting land use, zoning, public utilities, community facilities, housing, or transportation.
- Advise planning officials on project feasibility, cost-effectiveness, regulatory conformance, or possible alternatives.
- Create, prepare, or requisition graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land area maps overlaid with geographic variables, such as population density.
- Hold public meetings with government officials, social scientists, lawyers, developers, the public, or special interest groups to formulate, develop, or address issues regarding land use or community plans.
- Mediate community disputes or assist in developing alternative plans or recommendations for programs or projects.
- Recommend approval, denial, or conditional approval of proposals.
- Conduct field investigations, surveys, impact studies, or other research to compile and analyze data on economic, social, regulatory, or physical factors affecting land use.
- Evaluate proposals for infrastructure projects or other development for environmental impact or sustainability.
Technology skills
- Autodesk AutoCAD (in demand)
- ESRI ArcGIS software (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Geographic information system GIS systems (in demand)
- Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Hypertext markup language HTML (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, Systems Evaluation, Social Perceptiveness, Negotiation.
Common job titles: City Planner, Community Development Planner, Community Planner, Development Technician, Housing Development Specialist, Neighborhood Planner, Planner, Planning Consultant, Planning Technician, Regional Planner.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do urban and regional planners make?
The national median annual wage for urban and regional planners was $89,320 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $60,010 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $134,490. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do urban and regional planners need?
BLS lists master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is urban and regional planners a growing career?
BLS projects employment of urban and regional planners to change +3.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 3,200 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay urban and regional planners the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($137,000), California ($109,610), Oregon ($103,070). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.