Urban and Regional Planners Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 19-3051 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$83,720
$40.25/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Urban and Regional Planners is $83,720 per year ($40.25/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $66,206 and $104,458 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $128,544 per year. There are approximately 43,040 urban and regional planners employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Develop comprehensive plans and programs for use of land and physical facilities of jurisdictions, such as towns, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.4%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
45K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
32K
$81,640
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
4K
$91,610
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
4K
$86,220
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
1K
$114,970
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
870
$89,430
Wage range across top 5 industries: $81,640 to $114,970 (41% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$26.73
$55,598
P25
$31.83
$66,206
P50MEDIAN
$40.25
$83,720
P75
$50.22
$104,458
P90
$61.80
$128,544
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average urban and regional planners salary?
The national median salary for Urban and Regional Planners is $83,720 per year ($40.25/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $66,206 and $104,458 annually.
How much do top-earning urban and regional planners make?
The 90th percentile salary for Urban and Regional Planners is $128,544 per year ($61.80/hr). The 75th percentile is $104,458 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners?
Entry-level Urban and Regional Planners (10th percentile) earn approximately $55,598 per year ($26.73/hr). The 25th percentile is $66,206 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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