Urban and Regional Planners
Urban and Regional Planners (SOC 19-3051) earn a median $89,320 a year ($42.94 an hour) in the United States, with 44,230 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What urban and regional planners do
Urban and regional planners develop plans and programs for how land and physical facilities in a city, county, or region will be used. Typical tasks include designing, promoting, or administering plans and policies on land use, zoning, public facilities, and growth, advising planning officials on a project's feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and conformity to regulations, and preparing graphic or narrative reports on land use data, including land use maps. Planners hold public meetings with officials, residents, developers, and other groups to gather input, and they review development proposals against local plans. The occupation differs from architects and landscape architects, who design specific buildings and sites, from civil engineers, who design infrastructure, and from geographers and surveyors, who analyze and measure the land. They also mediate community disputes, help develop alternative plans, conduct field investigations and impact studies, and recommend whether proposals should be approved, denied, or conditionally approved.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is a master's degree.
Also called: City Planner, Community Development Planner, Campus Planner, City Designer, City Planning Engineer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $28.85 | $34.63 | $42.94 | $52.90 | $64.66 | $45.55 | 44,230 |
| Annual | $60,010 | $72,020 | $89,320 | $110,030 | $134,490 | $94,750 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where urban and regional planners earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $47.31 | $52.97 | $65.87 | $75.36 | $82.20 | $64.93 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $98,410 | $110,190 | $137,000 | $156,750 | $170,980 | $135,050 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $37.22 | $43.43 | $52.70 | $65.42 | $80.26 | $56.00 | 7,460 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $77,430 | $90,330 | $109,610 | $136,070 | $166,950 | $116,480 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $33.00 | $40.34 | $49.55 | $54.48 | $63.60 | $48.37 | 1,010 | 0.51 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $68,630 | $83,900 | $103,070 | $113,320 | $132,290 | $100,620 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $30.13 | $36.30 | $49.23 | $61.38 | $61.38 | $47.57 | 1,330 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $62,670 | $75,510 | $102,400 | $127,660 | $127,660 | $98,940 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $33.49 | $39.36 | $48.72 | $60.21 | $67.67 | $49.98 | 1,300 | 0.45 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $69,670 | $81,870 | $101,340 | $125,230 | $140,750 | $103,950 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $37.22 | $43.43 | $52.70 | $65.42 | $80.26 | $56.00 | 7,460 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $77,430 | $90,330 | $109,610 | $136,070 | $166,950 | $116,480 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $37.11 | $42.30 | $48.56 | $54.16 | $60.74 | $48.84 | 3,180 | 0.90 | 3.15 |
| Annual | $77,190 | $87,990 | $100,990 | $112,650 | $126,340 | $101,590 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $25.45 | $31.02 | $38.81 | $49.15 | $62.19 | $41.87 | 2,620 | 0.26 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $52,930 | $64,520 | $80,720 | $102,240 | $129,350 | $87,080 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $29.55 | $36.42 | $43.09 | $51.52 | $66.51 | $47.38 | 2,420 | 0.25 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $61,460 | $75,750 | $89,630 | $107,170 | $138,330 | $98,560 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $28.61 | $32.03 | $39.82 | $49.33 | $58.55 | $41.46 | 2,190 | 0.16 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $59,510 | $66,620 | $82,830 | $102,610 | $121,780 | $86,240 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $47.59 | $54.12 | $67.00 | $81.51 | $85.00 | $67.80 | 320 | 0.28 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $98,980 | $112,560 | $139,360 | $169,540 | $176,790 | $141,020 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $43.28 | $51.84 | $65.50 | $77.12 | $86.10 | $65.46 | 1,250 | 0.53 | 1.85 |
| Annual | $90,030 | $107,840 | $136,250 | $160,410 | $179,090 | $136,150 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $39.60 | $49.78 | $62.40 | $64.68 | $79.31 | $59.12 | 70 | 0.47 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $82,360 | $103,540 | $129,790 | $134,540 | $164,970 | $122,960 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $49.72 | $53.65 | $61.79 | $64.88 | $75.86 | $63.32 | 30 | 0.40 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $103,410 | $111,590 | $128,530 | $134,950 | $157,790 | $131,710 | ||||
| Salinas, CA | Hourly | $37.31 | $49.46 | $60.24 | $65.11 | $78.81 | $57.44 | 100 | 0.55 | 1.92 |
| Annual | $77,600 | $102,880 | $125,300 | $135,430 | $163,920 | $119,470 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $37.05 | $43.12 | $53.55 | $64.47 | $78.62 | $55.73 | 1,920 | 0.31 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $77,060 | $89,690 | $111,380 | $134,100 | $163,540 | $115,910 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $31.27 | $38.99 | $47.67 | $55.44 | $67.60 | $49.73 | 1,570 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $65,040 | $81,100 | $99,150 | $115,300 | $140,610 | $103,430 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $41.65 | $46.36 | $51.94 | $60.46 | $63.74 | $53.03 | 1,430 | 0.69 | 2.41 |
| Annual | $86,630 | $96,420 | $108,040 | $125,760 | $132,570 | $110,310 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $43.28 | $51.84 | $65.50 | $77.12 | $86.10 | $65.46 | 1,250 | 0.53 | 1.85 |
| Annual | $90,030 | $107,840 | $136,250 | $160,410 | $179,090 | $136,150 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $37.73 | $41.00 | $50.37 | $64.13 | $67.78 | $53.08 | 1,250 | 0.40 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $78,470 | $85,270 | $104,770 | $133,380 | $140,980 | $110,410 | ||||
Top industries employing urban and regional planners
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 75.3% of urban and regional planners nationally (33,320 jobs) at a median $85,980 a year ($41.34 an hour), followed by Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (9.2%) and State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (9.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 33,320 | 75.3% | $85,980 | $41.34 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 4,070 | 9.2% | $102,740 | $49.39 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 3,990 | 9.0% | $91,060 | $43.78 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 990 | 2.2% | $118,160 | $56.81 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services NAICS 541600 | 760 | 1.7% | $93,220 | $44.82 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (44,230). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $78,500 for urban and regional planners in May 2021 and $89,320 in May 2025, with employment of 38,940 and 44,230.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $78,500 | $37.74 | 38,940 |
| May 2022 | $79,540 | $38.24 | 39,880 |
| May 2023 | $81,800 | $39.33 | 42,690 |
| May 2024 | $83,720 | $40.25 | 43,040 |
| May 2025 | $89,320 | $42.94 | 44,230 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $65.87 | $137,000 | $98,410 | $170,980 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| 2 | California profile | $52.70 | $109,610 | $77,430 | $166,950 | 7,460 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $49.55 | $103,070 | $68,630 | $132,290 | 1,010 | 0.51 | 1.80 |
| 4 | Arizona profile | $49.23 | $102,400 | $62,670 | $127,660 | 1,330 | 0.41 | 1.44 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $48.72 | $101,340 | $69,670 | $140,750 | 1,300 | 0.45 | 1.59 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $48.56 | $100,990 | $77,190 | $126,340 | 3,180 | 0.90 | 3.15 |
| 7 | Nevada profile | $48.10 | $100,040 | $65,530 | $168,740 | 270 | 0.17 | 0.60 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $48.02 | $99,880 | $72,300 | $140,090 | 350 | 0.21 | 0.73 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $47.97 | $99,780 | $69,150 | $134,310 | 1,540 | 0.42 | 1.48 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $46.67 | $97,060 | $63,460 | $127,620 | 860 | 0.29 | 1.02 |
| 11 | Alaska profile | $45.13 | $93,860 | $60,420 | $112,930 | 230 | 0.71 | 2.51 |
| 12 | Illinois profile | $43.92 | $91,360 | $56,190 | $145,660 | 1,140 | 0.19 | 0.66 |
| 13 | Rhode Island profile | $43.37 | $90,210 | $59,990 | $115,160 | 160 | 0.31 | 1.09 |
| 14 | New York profile | $43.09 | $89,630 | $61,460 | $138,330 | 2,420 | 0.25 | 0.88 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | $42.58 | $88,570 | $62,920 | $140,980 | 900 | 0.33 | 1.14 |
| 16 | New Jersey profile | $41.48 | $86,280 | $60,990 | $137,790 | 790 | 0.19 | 0.65 |
| 17 | Virginia profile | $41.36 | $86,030 | $61,790 | $133,520 | 1,740 | 0.42 | 1.49 |
| 18 | Hawaii profile | $41.15 | $85,590 | $59,990 | $115,350 | 450 | 0.73 | 2.55 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | $40.74 | $84,750 | $61,400 | $103,540 | 100 | 0.34 | 1.18 |
| 20 | Utah profile | $40.56 | $84,360 | $56,730 | $125,070 | 500 | 0.29 | 1.02 |
| 21 | Wisconsin profile | $40.53 | $84,290 | $50,230 | $116,240 | 1,100 | 0.37 | 1.31 |
| 22 | Texas profile | $39.82 | $82,830 | $59,510 | $121,780 | 2,190 | 0.16 | 0.55 |
| 23 | Kansas profile | $39.58 | $82,330 | $58,930 | $128,320 | 250 | 0.18 | 0.62 |
| 24 | Oklahoma profile | $39.19 | $81,520 | $53,510 | $120,120 | 350 | 0.21 | 0.73 |
| 25 | North Carolina profile | $39.06 | $81,230 | $58,830 | $112,110 | 1,630 | 0.33 | 1.16 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania profile | $38.85 | $80,810 | $52,010 | $111,070 | 860 | 0.14 | 0.50 |
| 27 | Montana profile | $38.83 | $80,770 | $57,310 | $109,970 | 270 | 0.53 | 1.88 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $38.81 | $80,720 | $52,930 | $129,350 | 2,620 | 0.26 | 0.93 |
| 29 | Missouri profile | $38.81 | $80,720 | $52,710 | $128,250 | 440 | 0.15 | 0.53 |
| 30 | Georgia profile | $38.48 | $80,030 | $53,970 | $125,940 | 1,150 | 0.24 | 0.83 |
| 31 | Ohio profile | $38.44 | $79,950 | $53,800 | $113,020 | 760 | 0.14 | 0.48 |
| 32 | Maine profile | $38.04 | $79,120 | $56,480 | $112,810 | 190 | 0.29 | 1.03 |
| 33 | Iowa profile | $38.03 | $79,100 | $55,550 | $107,370 | 300 | 0.19 | 0.67 |
| 34 | Tennessee profile | $37.97 | $78,970 | $59,990 | $105,700 | 310 | 0.09 | 0.33 |
| 35 | Michigan profile | $37.75 | $78,510 | $52,060 | $109,930 | 1,380 | 0.31 | 1.10 |
| 36 | North Dakota profile | $37.74 | $78,500 | $61,070 | $129,930 | 210 | 0.49 | 1.72 |
| 37 | New Mexico profile | $37.36 | $77,710 | $57,750 | $104,730 | 270 | 0.32 | 1.11 |
| 38 | Idaho profile | $36.78 | $76,500 | $48,990 | $105,540 | 350 | 0.41 | 1.43 |
| 39 | South Carolina profile | $36.45 | $75,810 | $52,530 | $112,400 | 530 | 0.23 | 0.82 |
| 40 | Nebraska profile | $35.98 | $74,830 | $53,770 | $99,820 | 360 | 0.35 | 1.24 |
| 41 | Louisiana profile | $35.82 | $74,500 | $52,510 | $115,980 | 240 | 0.13 | 0.44 |
| 42 | New Hampshire profile | $35.51 | $73,860 | $55,900 | $109,240 | 260 | 0.38 | 1.32 |
| 43 | South Dakota profile | $34.22 | $71,180 | $51,670 | $92,760 | 210 | 0.45 | 1.60 |
| 44 | Indiana profile | $34.02 | $70,760 | $47,110 | $101,480 | 620 | 0.19 | 0.68 |
| 45 | Alabama profile | $33.99 | $70,710 | $46,650 | $124,040 | 520 | 0.25 | 0.86 |
| 46 | Wyoming profile | $33.75 | $70,190 | $52,230 | $110,170 | 110 | 0.38 | 1.34 |
| 47 | Delaware profile | $32.27 | $67,110 | $52,120 | $101,680 | 290 | 0.59 | 2.08 |
| 48 | Kentucky profile | $31.25 | $65,000 | $49,690 | $106,330 | 180 | 0.09 | 0.31 |
| 49 | Arkansas profile | $30.54 | $63,530 | $42,990 | $95,960 | 80 | 0.06 | 0.22 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $29.51 | $61,390 | $47,250 | $96,110 | 160 | 0.23 | 0.81 |
| 51 | Mississippi profile | $28.99 | $60,300 | $43,370 | $110,410 | 200 | 0.17 | 0.61 |
Part of Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 19-3051 Urban and Regional Planners.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 19-3051, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 19-3051.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.