Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA make a median of $80,660 a year, or about $38.78 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $127K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.24), that's roughly $80,467 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,004/month, about 39.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $81K actually covers in Amherst Town-Northampton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Amherst Town-Northampton’s Regional Price Parity (100.24). 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 urban and regional planners
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Amherst Town-Northampton
Urban and regional planners pay in Amherst Town-Northampton tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $89K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,004/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.24) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for urban and regional planners in metros near Amherst Town-Northampton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $103K | $96K |
| Worcester | $88K | $86K |
| Springfield | $82K | $85K |
| Pittsfield | $78K | $82K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $127K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Urban and Regional Planners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Urban and Regional Planners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $137K | +53% | 120 |
| California | $110K | +23% | 7,460 |
| Oregon | $103K | +15% | 1,010 |
| Arizona | $102K | +15% | 1,330 |
| Colorado | $101K | +13% | 1,300 |
| Washington | $101K | +13% | 3,180 |
| Nevada | $100K | +12% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $100K | +12% | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $100K | +12% | 1,540 |
| Minnesota | $97K | +9% | 860 |
| Alaska | $94K | +5% | 230 |
| Illinois | $91K | +2% | 1,140 |
| Rhode Island | $90K | +1% | 160 |
| New York | $90K | +0% | 2,420 |
| Maryland | $89K | -1% | 900 |
| New Jersey | $86K | -3% | 790 |
| Virginia | $86K | -4% | 1,740 |
| Hawaii | $86K | -4% | 450 |
| Vermont | $85K | -5% | 100 |
| Utah | $84K | -6% | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $84K | -6% | 1,100 |
| Texas | $83K | -7% | 2,190 |
| Kansas | $82K | -8% | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $82K | -9% | 350 |
| North Carolina | $81K | -9% | 1,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $81K | -10% | 860 |
| Montana | $81K | -10% | 270 |
| Missouri | $81K | -10% | 440 |
| Florida | $81K | -10% | 2,620 |
| Georgia | $80K | -10% | 1,150 |
| Ohio | $80K | -10% | 760 |
| Maine | $79K | -11% | 190 |
| Iowa | $79K | -11% | 300 |
| Tennessee | $79K | -12% | 310 |
| Michigan | $79K | -12% | 1,380 |
| North Dakota | $79K | -12% | 210 |
| New Mexico | $78K | -13% | 270 |
| Idaho | $77K | -14% | 350 |
| South Carolina | $76K | -15% | 530 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -16% | 360 |
| Louisiana | $75K | -17% | 240 |
| New Hampshire | $74K | -17% | 260 |
| South Dakota | $71K | -20% | 210 |
| Indiana | $71K | -21% | 620 |
| Alabama | $71K | -21% | 520 |
| Wyoming | $70K | -21% | 110 |
| Delaware | $67K | -25% | 290 |
| Kentucky | $65K | -27% | 180 |
| Arkansas | $64K | -29% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $61K | -31% | 160 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -32% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track urban and regional planners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Amherst Town-Northampton numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a urban and regional planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Amherst Town-Northampton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,004/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in Amherst Town-Northampton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,211/month. At HUD’s $2,004/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is urban and regional planner a high-paying job in Amherst Town-Northampton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $89K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Amherst Town-Northampton compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Amherst Town-Northampton pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $80K — below the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?
The median is $80,660 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,500, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $126,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Amherst Town-Northampton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,091/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,004/month, which eats 39.4% 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 urban and regional planners salary go in Amherst Town-Northampton?
Amherst Town-Northampton has a Regional Price Parity of 100.24 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median urban and regional planners salary is worth about $80,467 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do urban and regional 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.