Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Salary
The median pay for a meeting, convention, and event planners in Jacksonville, NC is $46,800/year ($22.5/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.08), which stretches that salary to about $50,825 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,173/month, about 36.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Jacksonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jacksonville’s Regional Price Parity (92.08). 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 Jacksonville
Pay for meeting, convention, and event planners in Jacksonville runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,173/month, which is 37.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for meeting, convention, and event plannerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for meeting, convention, and event planners in metros near Jacksonville, 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, Jacksonville, NC
Entry-level meeting, convention, and event planners (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $57K 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 |
| Alaska | $55K | -10% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $55K | -10% | 4,340 |
| 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
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
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Frequently asked questions
Can a meeting, convention, and event planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Jacksonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 37.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,173/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Jacksonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new meeting, convention, and event planners typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,531/month. At HUD’s $1,173/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 Jacksonville?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $47K here vs. $61K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Jacksonville compare to the national average for meeting, convention, and event planners?
Jacksonville pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do meeting, convention, and event planners make in Jacksonville, NC?
The median is $46,800 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,520, and experienced meeting, convention, and event planners can clear $82,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Jacksonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,128/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,173/month, which eats 37.5% 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 Jacksonville?
Jacksonville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.08 (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 $50,825 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.