A City Planner's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects City Planner Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a City Planner's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
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: $90,531
San Francisco: $89,540
Oakland: $87,653
San Jose, CA$90,531
San Francisco, CA$89,540
Oakland, CA$87,653
New York, NY$82,642
Paramus, NJ$81,637
Queens Village, NY$81,633
Passaic, NJ$81,565
Bergenfield, NJ$81,559
Stamford, CT$81,401
Huntington, NY$81,372
Newark, NJ$80,841
Bridgeport, CT$80,690
Vallejo, CA$80,547
New Brunswick, NJ$80,518
Petaluma, CA$80,475
Middlesex, NJ$80,339
Somerset, NJ$80,288
Santa Cruz, CA$80,195
Boston, MA$79,757
Monterey, CA$79,505
Seattle, WA$79,341
Santa Rosa, CA$79,327
Los Angeles, CA$79,305
Juneau, AK$79,118
Washington, DC$79,040
Orange, CA$78,784
Santa Ana, CA$78,595
Long Beach, CA$78,523
Anaheim, CA$78,508
Anchorage, AK$78,472
Santa Maria, CA$78,257
Everett, WA$78,243
Danbury, CT$77,990
Bremerton, WA$77,891
Tacoma, WA$77,633
New Suffolk, NY$77,631
Sacramento, CA$77,611
Santa Barbara, CA$77,532
Trenton, NJ$77,453
San Diego, CA$77,453
Brockton, MA$77,374
Fairbanks, AK$77,198
Lompoc, CA$77,015
Lowell, MA$76,957
Ventura, CA$76,944
Nashua, NH$76,929
Stockton, CA$76,922
Modesto, CA$76,398
Poughkeepsie, NY$76,240
Olympia, WA$76,104
Kennewick, WA$76,104
New Haven, CT$76,075
Lawrence, MA$75,817
Hartford, CT$75,745
Riverside, CA$75,731
New Bedford, MA$75,659
Richland, WA$75,659
Bakersfield, CA$75,558
San Bernardino, CA$75,530
New Britain, CT$75,522
Atlantic City, NJ$75,522
New London, CT$75,494
Norwich, CT$75,472
Portsmouth, NH$75,458
Boulder, CO$75,306
Portland, OR$75,207
Worcester, MA$75,200
Minneapolis, MN$74,977
Philadelphia, PA$74,877
Honolulu, HI$74,640
Saint Paul, MN$74,605
Vineland, NJ$74,589
Providence, RI$74,381
Chicago, IL$74,173
Bellingham, WA$74,087
Springfield, MA$74,030
Baltimore, MD$74,008
Chico, CA$73,829
Pittsfield, MA$73,635
Manchester, NH$73,498
Spokane, WA$73,183
Denver, CO$73,175
Albany, NY$72,838
Troy, NY$72,809
Nassau, NY$72,733
Schenectady, NY$72,659
Wilmington, DE$72,601
Burlington, VT$72,501
Salem, OR$72,472
Portland, ME$72,250
Yakima, WA$72,178
Rochester, MN$71,955
Reno, NV$71,919
Fresno, CA$71,919
Milwaukee, WI$71,855
Detroit, MI$71,783
Ann Arbor, MI$71,771
Allentown, PA$71,761
Colorado Springs, CO$71,639
Syracuse, NY$71,604
Carson City, NV$71,604
Houston, TX$71,503
Eugene, OR$71,467
Gary, IN$71,381
Springfield, OR$71,324
Bismarck, ND$71,309
Galveston, TX$71,259
Medford, OR$71,151
Fort Collins, CO$71,123
Concord, NH$71,087
Austin, TX$71,065
Mesa, AZ$70,914
Reading, PA$70,907
Phoenix, AZ$70,900
Dallas, TX$70,879
Saint Cloud, MN$70,810
Madison, WI$70,714
Utica, NY$70,520
Rochester, NY$70,405
Des Moines, IA$70,398
Raleigh, NC$70,391
Atlanta, GA$70,283
Battle Creek, MI$70,261
Salt Lake City, UT$70,240
Lancaster, PA$70,132
Harrisburg, PA$70,032
Kansas City, MO$69,960
Champaign, IL$69,946
Kansas City, KS$69,946
Fort Worth, TX$69,938
Columbus, OH$69,926
Boca Raton, FL$69,910
Pittsburgh, PA$69,881
Richmond, VA$69,852
Indianapolis, IN$69,838
Cleveland, OH$69,831
Las Vegas, NV$69,745
Cincinnati, OH$69,745
Petersburg, VA$69,637
Huntsville, AL$69,529
Lansing, MI$69,481
Lebanon, PA$69,472
Pueblo, CO$69,465
Appleton, WI$69,443
Buffalo, NY$69,414
Dayton, OH$69,393
Racine, WI$69,378
Charlotte, NC$69,371
Saint Louis, MO$69,350
York, PA$69,307
Elkhart, IN$69,307
Gastonia, NC$69,293
Billings, MT$69,276
Beaumont, TX$69,256
Lorain, OH$69,242
Benton Harbor, MI$69,228
Toledo, OH$69,213
Binghamton, NY$69,178
Rock Hill, SC$69,170
Rockford, IL$69,134
Springfield, IL$69,106
Elyria, OH$69,099
Fargo, ND$69,099
Flagstaff, AZ$69,048
Fort Lauderdale, FL$69,005
Duluth, MN$68,962
Miami, FL$68,962
Cheyenne, WY$68,912
Grand Forks, ND$68,912
Bangor, ME$68,754
Cedar Rapids, IA$68,675
Durham, NC$68,645
Louisville, KY$68,639
Grand Rapids, MI$68,625
Hialeah, FL$68,618
Casper, WY$68,517
Scranton, PA$68,431
New Orleans, LA$68,410
Virginia Beach, VA$68,402
Akron, OH$68,366
Peoria, IL$68,273
Sarasota, FL$68,259
Nashville, TN$68,209
Omaha, NE$68,209
Green Bay, WI$68,209
Baton Rouge, LA$68,173
Charleston, SC$68,158
Jamestown, NY$68,122
Davenport, IA$68,122
Tucson, AZ$68,087
Saint Petersburg, FL$68,043
Tampa, FL$68,029
Evansville, IN$67,986
Port Arthur, TX$67,986
Bradenton, FL$67,957
Santa Fe, NM$67,828
Orlando, FL$67,699
Clearwater, FL$67,677
Canton, OH$67,527
La Crosse, WI$67,527
Albuquerque, NM$67,484
Newport News, VA$67,476
High Point, NC$67,455
Ogden, UT$67,426
Corpus Christi, TX$67,369
Norfolk, VA$67,326
Laramie, WY$67,326
Rock Island, IL$67,283
Saginaw, MI$67,268
Jacksonville, FL$67,261
Salisbury, NC$67,247
Boise, ID$67,232
Moline, IL$67,197
Fort Myers, FL$67,175
Memphis, TN$67,161
Tulsa, OK$67,125
Waterloo, IA$67,082
Spartanburg, SC$67,010
Lincoln, NE$66,974
Fort Wayne, IN$66,960
Provo, UT$66,952
Cedar Falls, IA$66,866
San Antonio, TX$66,838
Greensboro, NC$66,809
South Bend, IN$66,802
Savannah, GA$66,723
Muskegon, MI$66,694
Birmingham, AL$66,687
Winston Salem, NC$66,652
Lake Charles, LA$66,479
Anderson, IN$66,464
Lexington, KY$66,443
Augusta, GA$66,421
Greenville, SC$66,421
Lima, OH$66,364
Wichita, KS$66,357
Tuscaloosa, AL$66,357
Columbia, SC$66,292
Springfield, OH$66,278
Asheville, NC$66,163
Bloomington, IN$66,113
Knoxville, TN$65,854
Shreveport, LA$65,847
Wilmington, NC$65,754
Roanoke, VA$65,754
Topeka, KS$65,625
Frankfort, KY$65,617
Oklahoma City, OK$65,567
Chillicothe, OH$65,538
Longview, TX$65,531
Melbourne, FL$65,524
Sioux Falls, SD$65,409
Mobile, AL$65,402
Terre Haute, IN$65,373
Altoona, PA$65,330
Amarillo, TX$65,280
Killeen, TX$65,259
Fayetteville, AR$65,201
Chattanooga, TN$65,180
Sioux City, IA$65,115
Idaho Falls, ID$65,101
Lynchburg, VA$65,043
Gainesville, FL$64,950
Portsmouth, OH$64,914
Little Rock, AR$64,900
Lafayette, LA$64,871
Youngstown, OH$64,871
Daytona Beach, FL$64,828
Clarksville, TN$64,821
Pensacola, FL$64,814
Temple, TX$64,809
Hopkinsville, KY$64,598
Erie, PA$64,584
Florence, SC$64,555
Charleston, WV$64,440
Great Falls, MT$64,404
Macon, GA$64,304
Tallahassee, FL$64,297
Fayetteville, NC$64,282
Waco, TX$64,268
Helena, MT$64,218
Pine Bluff, AR$64,191
Vincennes, IN$64,103
Lubbock, TX$64,074
Alamogordo, NM$64,031
Twin Falls, ID$63,967
Rapid City, SD$63,945
Jackson, MS$63,816
Huntington, WV$63,811
Greenville, MS$63,809
Parkersburg, WV$63,735
Montgomery, AL$63,723
Wichita Falls, TX$63,651
Springfield, MO$63,651
Biloxi, MS$63,615
Monroe, LA$63,543
Johnstown, PA$63,493
Sumter, SC$63,464
Columbus, GA$63,457
Pascagoula, MS$63,321
Abilene, TX$63,321
Kingsport, TN$63,134
Albany, GA$63,134
Gulfport, MS$63,112
Alexandria, LA$62,876
Fort Smith, AR$62,696
El Paso, TX$62,502
Las Cruces, NM$62,179
Harlingen, TX$61,997
Pocatello, ID$61,986
Florence, AL$61,892
Brownsville, TX$61,878
Mcallen, TX$61,727
Dothan, AL$61,627
Columbus, MS$61,200
Altus, OK$60,866
Lawton, OK$60,730
Pierre, SD$60,471
What Skills Can Increase a City Planner's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Planning (Mentioned in 14.11% 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.
Space Planning (Mentioned in 2.32% Job Postings): Analyzing, organizing, and building interior design layouts to maximize available space in accordance with client's specifications.
Investment Management (Mentioned in 1.68% Job Postings): Investment management (or financial management) is the professional asset management of various securities (shares, bonds and other securities) and other assets (e.g., real estate) in order to meet specified investment goals for the benefit of the investors. Investors may be institutions (insurance companies, pension funds, corporations, charities, educational establishments etc.) or private investors (both directly via investment contracts and more commonly via collective investment schemes e.g. mutual funds or exchange-traded funds). The term 'asset management' is often used to refer to the investment management of investment funds, while the more generic term 'fund management' may refer to all forms of institutional investment as well as investment management for private investors. Investment managers who specialize in advisory or discretionary management on behalf of (normally wealthy) private investors may often refer to their services as money management or portfolio management often within the context of "private banking".
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 City Planner's salary.
Financial Budgeting: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Strategic Planning: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Program Management: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
City Planner Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For City Planner roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Business Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, City Planner positions in Biotechnology or Chemicals typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view City Planner as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a City Planner
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense
$101,545
$49.0
40%
Business Services
$97,919
$47.0
35%
Construction
$94,292
$45.0
30%
Energy & Utilities
$90,665
$44.0
25%
Healthcare
$87,039
$42.0
20%
City Planner Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a City Planner'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.
Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current City Planner job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.
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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right.
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