Planning Clerk Salary in the United States

How much does a Planning Clerk make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Planning Clerk in the United States is $82,759 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $40.

However, a Planning Clerk's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $98,854
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,385 to $91,184
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $68,672

Key Factors That Influence Planning Clerk Salaries

A Planning Clerk's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Planning Clerk Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Planning Clerks. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $91,631.
  • California: $91,283.
  • Massachusetts: $90,066.

Top Paying Cities for Planning Clerks

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $104,384
  • San Francisco: $103,241
  • Oakland: $101,065

What Skills Can Increase a Planning Clerk's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 19.58% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
  • Forecasting (Mentioned in 2.49% Job Postings): Forecasting is the process of making predictions of the future based on past and present data and most commonly by analysis of trends. A commonplace example might be estimation of some variable of interest at some specified future date. Prediction is a similar, but more general term. Both might refer to formal statistical methods employing time series, cross-sectional or longitudinal data, or alternatively to less formal judgmental methods. Usage can differ between areas of application: for example, in hydrology the terms "forecast" and "forecasting" are sometimes reserved for estimates of values at certain specific future times, while the term "prediction" is used for more general estimates, such as the number of times floods will occur over a long period. Risk and uncertainty are central to forecasting and prediction; it is generally considered good practice to indicate the degree of uncertainty attaching to forecasts. In any case, the data must be up to date in order for the forecast to be as accurate as possible. In some cases the data used to predict the variable of interest is itself forecasted.
  • Continuous Improvement (Mentioned in 1.22% Job Postings): A continual improvement process, also often called a continuous improvement process (abbreviated as CIP or CI), is an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. These efforts can seek "incremental" improvement over time or "breakthrough" improvement all at once. Delivery (customer valued) processes are constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Some see CIPs as a meta-process for most management systems (such as business process management, quality management, project management, and program management). W. Edwards Deming, a pioneer of the field, saw it as part of the 'system' whereby feedback from the process and customer were evaluated against organisational goals. The fact that it can be called a management process does not mean that it needs to be executed by 'management'; but rather merely that it makes decisions about the implementation of the delivery process and the design of the delivery process itself.
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 19.58%
Forecasting 2.49%
Continuous Improvement 1.22%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Planning Clerk's salary.

  • Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Program Management: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Project Management $88,552
7%
Consulting $88,552
7%
Program Management $86,897
5%

Planning Clerk Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Planning Clerk roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Planning Clerk positions in Telecom or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Planning Clerk as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Planning Clerk

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$99,311$48.020%
Biotechnology$99,311$48.020%
Energy & Utilities$99,311$48.020%
Financial Services$99,311$48.020%
Internet$99,311$48.020%

How Education impacts a Planning Clerk's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Planning Clerks enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Planning Clerk with a Bachelor's Degree is between $77,223 and $83,398).

Planning Clerk Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Planning Clerk
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.8%
High School 2.8%
Associates 2.8%
Bachelors 50.0%
Masters 41.7%
Doctorate 2.8%

Planning Clerk Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Planning Clerk's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$75,385
Average $82,759/year
$91,184
$6,282
Average $6,897/month
$7,599
$1,450
Average $1,592/week
$1,754
$36
Average $40/hour
$44
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $91,184 $7,599 $1,754 $44
Average $82,759 $6,897 $1,592 $40
25th Percentile $75,385 $6,282 $1,450 $36

Most common benefits for Planning Clerk

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Planning Clerk

Here are companies hiring for Planning Clerk and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Planning Clerk

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Planning Clerk?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Planning Clerk roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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