Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Salary
The median pay for a meeting, convention, and event planners in Virginia is $60,930/year ($29.29/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $64,279 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 41.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Virginia?
About meeting, convention, and event planners
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What this looks like in Virginia
Meeting, convention, and event planners pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 41.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level meeting, convention, and event planners (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners salary by metro in Virginia
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $62K | +2% | 210 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $54K | -12% | 600 |
| Richmond | $53K | -13% | 690 |
| Roanoke | $51K | -16% | N/A |
| Harrisonburg | $51K | -16% | 80 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $51K | -16% | 60 |
| Lynchburg | $46K | -25% | 70 |
| Winchester | $45K | -26% | 50 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a meeting, convention, and event planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 41.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new meeting, convention, and event planners typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,408/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for meeting, convention, and event planners?
Virginia pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do meeting, convention, and event planners make in Virginia?
The median is $60,930 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,140, and experienced meeting, convention, and event planners can clear $102,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,001/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 41.1% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $64,279 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.