The Salaries of Urban Planners

Average Salaries

In May 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted its latest survey of employment trends throughout the country. It classified urban planners alongside their colleagues regional planners and concluded that the average yearly wage across the profession was $66,020. This equates to a monthly salary of $5,502 and an hourly pay of $31.74. In May 2011, salary comparison website Indeed.com listed the average annual pay for an urban planner specifically as $73,000.

The bureau reported that the vast majority of urban and regional planners worked for local government. It listed the average annual pay within this sector of the industry as $63,430. Planners working for state government earned an average of $62,470, while federal positions offered an average wage of $88,740. Urban planners also work for architectural, engineering and related services, in which the pay averaged $72,880, and within management, scientific and technical consulting services, which were listed at $75,410.

According to the bureau's statistics, an urban planner is likely to earn the highest salaries in District of Columbia and California, listed at $88,690 and $79,920, respectively. Vermont was reported at an average of $53,100, while Pennsylvania was listed at $49,130. Across all industry sectors, the metropolitan district with the highest salaries was the Milwaukee, Waukesha, West Allis area of Wisconsin -- $106,800 -- while, in contrast, Medford, Oregon, had an average of $51,400.

For both urban and regional planners, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 19 percent growth in employment opportunities over the years from 2008 to 2018 -- a significant rate given that the country as a whole is not expected to grow by more than 13 percent over the same time. The need for planning authorities to provide services to an expanding population will be the primary motivation for this growth and should see salary levels for the profession remain attractive. There will, however, be some competition for vacancies, with candidates holding a master's degree best placed to secure employment.