Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Salary
The median pay for a meeting, convention, and event planners in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $49,340/year ($23.72/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.49), which stretches that salary to about $55,758 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,095/month, about 32% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton’s Regional Price Parity (88.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About meeting, convention, and event planners
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What this looks like in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton
Pay for meeting, convention, and event planners in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $61K. Rent runs $1,095/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for meeting, convention, and event planners in metros near Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $59K | $61K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $55K | $56K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $55K | $56K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $50K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Entry-level meeting, convention, and event planners (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $58K spread from bottom to top.
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $77K | +26% | 2,360 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | +24% | 4,640 |
| New York | $75K | +22% | 10,330 |
| Hawaii | $74K | +22% | 550 |
| Vermont | $74K | +22% | 430 |
| New Jersey | $73K | +19% | 2,160 |
| California | $71K | +16% | 20,650 |
| Connecticut | $70K | +14% | 1,450 |
| Washington | $66K | +7% | 3,600 |
| Maryland | $63K | +3% | 2,570 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +3% | 510 |
| Colorado | $62K | +1% | 4,650 |
| Arizona | $61K | +0% | 3,440 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -0% | 610 |
| Oregon | $61K | -0% | 2,020 |
| Virginia | $61K | -0% | 4,230 |
| Florida | $60K | -1% | 10,480 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | -2% | 890 |
| Illinois | $60K | -2% | 5,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -5% | 3,940 |
| Maine | $58K | -5% | 490 |
| Minnesota | $58K | -6% | 3,160 |
| Nevada | $58K | -6% | 2,060 |
| Texas | $57K | -6% | 10,730 |
| Missouri | $57K | -7% | 2,500 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -9% | 120 |
| North Carolina | $55K | -10% | 4,340 |
| Alaska | $55K | -10% | 150 |
| Kansas | $55K | -10% | 920 |
| Utah | $54K | -11% | 1,970 |
| Wisconsin | $54K | -12% | 2,690 |
| Arkansas | $53K | -13% | 550 |
| Michigan | $53K | -14% | 3,560 |
| Nebraska | $53K | -14% | 610 |
| Alabama | $52K | -15% | 980 |
| Tennessee | $52K | -15% | 3,260 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -15% | 1,240 |
| Iowa | $52K | -15% | 1,120 |
| North Dakota | $52K | -15% | 300 |
| New Mexico | $51K | -17% | 350 |
| Indiana | $50K | -18% | 2,140 |
| Ohio | $50K | -18% | 4,750 |
| Kentucky | $49K | -19% | 1,110 |
| Georgia | $49K | -19% | 5,050 |
| Delaware | $49K | -20% | 400 |
| Montana | $49K | -20% | 350 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -20% | 1,440 |
| South Dakota | $47K | -23% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $45K | -27% | 360 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -42% | 300 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track meeting, convention, and event planners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a meeting, convention, and event planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 33.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for meeting, convention, and event planners in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new meeting, convention, and event planners typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,776/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is meeting, convention, and event planner a high-paying job in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $49K here vs. $61K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton compare to the national average for meeting, convention, and event planners?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do meeting, convention, and event planners make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?
The median is $49,340 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,600, and experienced meeting, convention, and event planners can clear $87,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,289/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 33.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a meeting, convention, and event planners salary go in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has a Regional Price Parity of 88.49 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median meeting, convention, and event planners salary is worth about $55,758 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do meeting, convention, and event planners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.