Urban and Regional Planners Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for urban and regional plannerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$135,050
- California$116,480
- Colorado$103,950
- Connecticut$103,430
- Nevada$103,380
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$65,950
- West Virginia$67,660
- Mississippi$69,110
- Kentucky$73,590
- Delaware$74,150
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $135,050 | $137,000 | $65 | +42.5% | 120 |
| 2 | California | $116,480 | $109,610 | $56 | +22.9% | 7,460 |
| 3 | Colorado | $103,950 | $101,340 | $50 | +9.7% | 1,300 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $103,430 | $99,880 | $50 | +9.2% | 350 |
| 5 | Nevada | $103,380 | $100,040 | $50 | +9.1% | 270 |
| 6 | Washington | $101,590 | $100,990 | $49 | +7.2% | 3,180 |
| 7 | Oregon | $100,620 | $103,070 | $48 | +6.2% | 1,010 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $100,590 | $99,780 | $48 | +6.2% | 1,540 |
| 9 | Arizona | $98,940 | $102,400 | $48 | +4.4% | 1,330 |
| 10 | New York | $98,560 | $89,630 | $47 | +4% | 2,420 |
| 11 | Illinois | $97,270 | $91,360 | $47 | +2.7% | 1,140 |
| 12 | Maryland | $96,740 | $88,570 | $47 | +2.1% | 900 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $95,430 | $97,060 | $46 | +0.7% | 860 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $94,620 | $86,280 | $45 | -0.1% | 790 |
| 15 | Virginia | $93,700 | $86,030 | $45 | -1.1% | 1,740 |
| 16 | Alaska | $90,480 | $93,860 | $44 | -4.5% | 230 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $88,410 | $90,210 | $43 | -6.7% | 160 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $87,730 | $78,500 | $42 | -7.4% | 210 |
| 19 | Kansas | $87,620 | $82,330 | $42 | -7.5% | 250 |
| 20 | Utah | $87,220 | $84,360 | $42 | -7.9% | 500 |
| 21 | Florida | $87,080 | $80,720 | $42 | -8.1% | 2,620 |
| 22 | Texas | $86,240 | $82,830 | $41 | -9% | 2,190 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $85,560 | $85,590 | $41 | -9.7% | 450 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $84,470 | $84,290 | $41 | -10.8% | 1,100 |
| 25 | Georgia | $84,400 | $80,030 | $41 | -10.9% | 1,150 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $84,130 | $81,520 | $40 | -11.2% | 350 |
| 27 | Maine | $83,690 | $79,120 | $40 | -11.7% | 190 |
| 28 | Missouri | $83,680 | $80,720 | $40 | -11.7% | 440 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $83,610 | $81,230 | $40 | -11.8% | 1,630 |
| 30 | Vermont | $83,070 | $84,750 | $40 | -12.3% | 100 |
| 31 | Montana | $82,640 | $80,770 | $40 | -12.8% | 270 |
| 32 | Ohio | $81,960 | $79,950 | $39 | -13.5% | 760 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $81,790 | $80,810 | $39 | -13.7% | 860 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $81,750 | $78,970 | $39 | -13.7% | 310 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $81,070 | $74,500 | $39 | -14.4% | 240 |
| 36 | Michigan | $80,120 | $78,510 | $39 | -15.4% | 1,380 |
| 37 | Iowa | $79,990 | $79,100 | $38 | -15.6% | 300 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $79,550 | $75,810 | $38 | -16% | 530 |
| 39 | Alabama | $79,360 | $70,710 | $38 | -16.2% | 520 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $78,340 | $77,710 | $38 | -17.3% | 270 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $78,280 | $73,860 | $38 | -17.4% | 260 |
| 42 | Idaho | $77,270 | $76,500 | $37 | -18.4% | 350 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $76,570 | $74,830 | $37 | -19.2% | 360 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $76,070 | $70,190 | $37 | -19.7% | 110 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $74,900 | $71,180 | $36 | -20.9% | 210 |
| 46 | Indiana | $74,550 | $70,760 | $36 | -21.3% | 620 |
| 47 | Delaware | $74,150 | $67,110 | $36 | -21.7% | 290 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $73,590 | $65,000 | $35 | -22.3% | 180 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $69,110 | $60,300 | $33 | -27.1% | 200 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $67,660 | $61,390 | $33 | -28.6% | 160 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $65,950 | $63,530 | $32 | -30.4% | 80 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 266 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $139,360 | $141,020 | 320 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $136,250 | $136,150 | 1,250 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $129,790 | $122,960 | 70 |
| 4 | Napa, CA | $128,530 | $131,710 | 30 |
| 5 | Salinas, CA | $125,300 | $119,470 | 100 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $123,090 | $123,620 | 110 |
| 7 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $112,270 | $120,560 | 100 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $111,380 | $115,910 | 1,920 |
| 9 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $110,520 | $114,380 | 110 |
| 10 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $109,920 | $111,530 | 100 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing urban and regional plannerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal Services | $139,870 | $146,260 | 70 |
| 2 | Utilities | $128,370 | $126,530 | 190 |
| 3 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $128,370 | $126,530 | 190 |
| 4 | Residential Building Construction | $120,330 | $120,850 | 40 |
| 5 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $118,160 | $120,200 | 990 |
| 6 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $118,160 | $120,200 | 990 |
| 7 | Engineering Services | $104,830 | $108,170 | 2,950 |
| 8 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $103,070 | $100,040 | — |
| 9 | Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $102,740 | $106,170 | 4,070 |
| 10 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $100,950 | $105,350 | 5,020 |
| 11 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $100,950 | $105,350 | 5,020 |
| 12 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $100,090 | $95,740 | — |
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 urban and regional planners make in the U.S.?
The median urban and regional planners salary in the United States is $89,320 per year (mean $94,750), and about 80% earn between $60,010 and $134,490.
How much do urban and regional planners make per hour?
Roughly $46 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $94,750 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays urban and regional planners the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for urban and regional planners at $135,050 per year (median $137,000).
What is the job outlook for urban and regional planners?
Employment is projected to change +3.4% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 3,400 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.