Event Planner Salary in the United States

How much does an Event Planner make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for an Event Planner in the United States is $59,240 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

However, an Event Planner's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,040
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $53,059 to $65,417
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $47,432
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View as table View as graph 25% $53,059 10% $47,432 90% $71,040 75% $65,417 $59,240 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Event Planner Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $65,417 $5,451 $1,258 $31
Average $59,240 $4,937 $1,139 $28
25th Percentile $53,059 $4,422 $1,020 $26
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Key Factors That Influence Event Planner Salaries

An Event 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Event Planner Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Event 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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $58,786
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $66,309
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,082
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $111,573
  • Expert (over 8 years): $94,065
Levels Salary
Event Pla... Level Event Planner$58,786
Meeting/E... Level Event Planner$66,309
Meeting/E... Level Event Planner$91,082
Meeting/E... Level Event Planner$111,573
Meeting/E... Level Event Planner$94,065
$58,786 0 yr
$66,309 < 2 yrs
$91,082 2-4 yrs
$111,573 5-8 yrs
$94,065 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Event Planners

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: $74,719
  • San Francisco: $73,985
  • Oakland: $72,344

What Skills Can Increase an Event Planner's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Planning (Mentioned in 13.84% 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.
  • Event Marketing (Mentioned in 1.72% Job Postings): Event marketing is the experiential marketing of a brand, service, or product through promotional events. It typically involves direct interaction with a brand's representatives. It should not be confused with event management, which is a process of organizing, promoting and conducting events. Trade shows are an example of event marketing.
  • Customer Engagement (Mentioned in 1.39% Job Postings): Customer engagement is a business communication connection between an external stakeholder (consumer) and an organization (company or brand) through various channels of correspondence. This connection can be a reaction, interaction, effect or overall customer experience, which takes place online and offline. The term can also be used to define customer-to-customer correspondence regarding a communication, product, service or brand. However, the latter dissemination originates from a business-to-consumer interaction resonated at a subconscious level. Online customer engagement is qualitatively different from offline engagement as the nature of the customer’s interactions with a brand, company and other customers differ on the internet. Discussion forums or blogs, for example, are spaces where people can communicate and socialise in ways that cannot be replicated by any offline interactive medium. Online customer engagement is a social phenomenon that became mainstream with the wide adoption of the internet in the late 1990s, which has expanded the technical developments in broadband speed, connectivity and social media. These factors enable customer behaviour to regularly engage in online communities revolving, directly or indirectly, around product categories and other consumption topics. This process leads to a customer’s positive engagement with the company or offering, as well as the behaviours associated with different degrees of customer engagement.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Planning 13.84%
Event Marketing 1.72%
Customer Engagement 1.39%
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 an Event Planner's salary.
  • Supply Chain: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • Merchandising: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Project Management: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Supply Chain
$68,718
16%
Merchandising
$65,756
11%
Project Management
$64,571
9%
Accounting
$63,979
8%
Consulting
$63,979
8%
Innovation
$63,387
7%
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How Education impacts an Event Planner's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Event Planners enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Event Planner with a No Diploma is between $60,780 and $64,386).

Event Planner Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Event Planner
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 11.8%
Associates 7.6%
Bachelors 72.4%
Masters 7.0%
Doctorate 0.9%
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Event Planner Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Event 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.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Event Planner

Salaries for an Event Planner can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $61,087 in 2023 to around $58,922 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Event Planner salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Event Planner Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$61,087
2024
$60,108
2025
$58,922
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $61,087
2024 $60,108
2025 $58,922
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Event Planner

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Event Planner

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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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