Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 44K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$89,320
Median hourly
$43
Average annual
$94,750
Typical range
$60,010–$134,490
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Urban and Regional Planners is $89,320 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $43 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas..
Most earn between $60,010 and $134,490 a year. There are roughly 44K people employed as urban and regional planners in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Urban and Regional Planners.
- Hourly
- $42.94
- Daily
- $344
- Weekly
- $1,718
- Bi-weekly
- $3,435
- Monthly
- $7,443
- Annual
- $89,320
$89,320 a year is around the 50th percentile for Urban and Regional Plannerss. The median is $89,320.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$137,000
- 2California$109,610
- 3Oregon$103,070
- 4Arizona$102,400
- 5Colorado$101,340
- 6Washington$100,990
- 7Nevada$100,040
- 8Connecticut$99,880
- 9Massachusetts$99,780
- 10Minnesota$97,060
- 11Alaska$93,860
- 12Illinois$91,360
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$139,360
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$136,250
- 3Vallejo, CA$129,790
- 4Napa, CA$128,530
- 5Salinas, CA$125,300
- 6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$123,090
- 7Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$112,270
- 8Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$111,380
- 9Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$110,520
- 10San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$109,920
- 11Trenton-Princeton, NJ$109,150
- 12Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$108,760
Related job titles
Employers advertise Urban and Regional Planners roles under these titles.
- City Designer
- City Planner
- City Planning Engineer
- Community Development Planner
- Community Development Technician
- Community Planner
- Community Planning Technician
- Developer Advocate
- Development Technician
- Economic Developer
- Economic Development Coordinator
- Housing Development Specialist
- Housing Grant Analyst
- Housing Liaison
- Land Use Planner
- Neighborhood Planner
Related occupations
- Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$101,110
- Chief Executives$213,990
- Project Management Specialists$102,320
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other$83,050
- Managers, All Other$141,900
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$82,220
- Conservation Scientists$73,010
- Landscape Architects$79,870
What a Urban and Regional Planners does
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Urban and Regional Planners make?
- The median annual wage for Urban and Regional Planners is $89,320 ($43 per hour). Pay ranges from about $60,010 at the 10th percentile to $134,490 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Urban and Regional Planners?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $94,750, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Urban and Regional Plannerss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $137,000.
- Is Urban and Regional Planners a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 44K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Urban and Regional Planners do?
- 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..