Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for meeting, convention, and event plannerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $66,520 ≈ $32/hr
National median salary $61,160
Total employment 142,860 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.8%
Faster than average
Annual openings 15,500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 155,800 → 163,300 (+7,500)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$82,800
- Massachusetts$81,710
- District of Columbia$79,640
- New Jersey$77,880
- California$77,160
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$41,920
- Mississippi$48,650
- South Dakota$49,950
- Oklahoma$51,130
- Kentucky$53,060
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $82,800 | $74,730 | $40 | +24.5% | 10,330 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $81,710 | $75,740 | $39 | +22.8% | 4,640 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $79,640 | $76,970 | $38 | +19.7% | 2,360 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $77,880 | $72,780 | $37 | +17.1% | 2,160 |
| 5 | California | $77,160 | $71,120 | $37 | +16% | 20,650 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $75,240 | $70,010 | $36 | +13.1% | 1,450 |
| 7 | Vermont | $73,020 | $74,310 | $35 | +9.8% | 430 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $71,830 | $74,460 | $35 | +8% | 550 |
| 9 | Washington | $70,880 | $65,530 | $34 | +6.6% | 3,600 |
| 10 | Maryland | $70,840 | $63,280 | $34 | +6.5% | 2,570 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $68,950 | $63,250 | $33 | +3.7% | 510 |
| 12 | Virginia | $67,130 | $60,930 | $32 | +0.9% | 4,230 |
| 13 | Colorado | $66,830 | $62,050 | $32 | +0.5% | 4,650 |
| 14 | Illinois | $65,040 | $59,840 | $31 | -2.2% | 5,220 |
| 15 | Oregon | $64,790 | $61,120 | $31 | -2.6% | 2,020 |
| 16 | Florida | $64,510 | $60,270 | $31 | -3% | 10,480 |
| 17 | Arizona | $62,650 | $61,330 | $30 | -5.8% | 3,440 |
| 18 | Nevada | $62,550 | $57,610 | $30 | -6% | 2,060 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $62,390 | $58,170 | $30 | -6.2% | 3,940 |
| 20 | Louisiana | $62,240 | $61,150 | $30 | -6.4% | 610 |
| 21 | Maine | $62,110 | $57,900 | $30 | -6.6% | 490 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $61,770 | $57,710 | $30 | -7.1% | 3,160 |
| 23 | Texas | $61,710 | $57,470 | $30 | -7.2% | 10,730 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $61,350 | $55,550 | $30 | -7.8% | 120 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $61,230 | $59,910 | $29 | -8% | 890 |
| 26 | Arkansas | $61,000 | $53,040 | $29 | -8.3% | 550 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $60,550 | $54,990 | $29 | -9% | 4,340 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $59,570 | $53,940 | $29 | -10.4% | 2,690 |
| 29 | Kansas | $58,420 | $54,840 | $28 | -12.2% | 920 |
| 30 | Missouri | $58,130 | $56,900 | $28 | -12.6% | 2,500 |
| 31 | Alabama | $57,690 | $52,180 | $28 | -13.3% | 980 |
| 32 | Alaska | $57,670 | $54,990 | $28 | -13.3% | 150 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $57,670 | $52,630 | $28 | -13.3% | 610 |
| 34 | Utah | $57,570 | $54,150 | $28 | -13.5% | 1,970 |
| 35 | Michigan | $56,670 | $52,780 | $27 | -14.8% | 3,560 |
| 36 | Indiana | $55,840 | $50,090 | $27 | -16.1% | 2,140 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $55,570 | $51,700 | $27 | -16.5% | 300 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $55,460 | $51,830 | $27 | -16.6% | 1,240 |
| 39 | Ohio | $55,410 | $49,900 | $27 | -16.7% | 4,750 |
| 40 | Iowa | $55,340 | $51,750 | $27 | -16.8% | 1,120 |
| 41 | Georgia | $54,770 | $49,250 | $26 | -17.7% | 5,050 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $54,240 | $52,000 | $26 | -18.5% | 3,260 |
| 43 | Delaware | $53,590 | $49,020 | $26 | -19.4% | 400 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $53,390 | $50,820 | $26 | -19.7% | 350 |
| 45 | Montana | $53,080 | $49,000 | $26 | -20.2% | 350 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $53,060 | $49,280 | $26 | -20.2% | 1,110 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $51,130 | $48,990 | $25 | -23.1% | 1,440 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $49,950 | $47,050 | $24 | -24.9% | 340 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $48,650 | $44,680 | $23 | -26.9% | 360 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $41,920 | $35,760 | $20 | -37% | 300 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 399 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90,560 | $97,240 | 1,190 |
| 2 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $84,640 | $85,000 | 130 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,120 | $90,230 | 3,490 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $78,610 | $87,260 | 9,050 |
| 5 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $78,300 | $71,700 | 100 |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,010 | $83,970 | 3,650 |
| 7 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $77,010 | $78,780 | 170 |
| 8 | Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $76,430 | $72,750 | 130 |
| 9 | Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $76,260 | $73,710 | 80 |
| 10 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $75,800 | $71,440 | 130 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing meeting, convention, and event plannerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | $129,460 | $124,600 | 60 |
| 2 | Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $126,080 | $111,620 | 50 |
| 3 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $110,010 | $109,890 | 40 |
| 4 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $106,180 | $113,320 | 1,420 |
| 5 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $104,560 | $104,770 | 190 |
| 6 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $103,210 | $100,220 | 150 |
| 7 | Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | $102,460 | $87,990 | 30 |
| 8 | Software Publishers | $101,240 | $106,670 | 790 |
| 9 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $99,330 | $98,230 | 310 |
| 10 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $92,580 | $99,430 | 3,330 |
| 11 | Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations | $91,360 | $93,900 | 460 |
| 12 | Monetary Authorities-Central Bank | $90,930 | $92,740 | 50 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do meeting, convention, and event planners make in the U.S.?
The median meeting, convention, and event planners salary in the United States is $61,160 per year (mean $66,520), and about 80% earn between $36,830 and $101,700.
How much do meeting, convention, and event planners make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $66,520 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays meeting, convention, and event planners the most?
New York has the highest average pay for meeting, convention, and event planners at $82,800 per year (median $74,730).
What is the job outlook for meeting, convention, and event planners?
Employment is projected to change +4.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 15,500 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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