Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY make a median of $82,270 a year, or about $39.56 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $136K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.84), that's roughly $85,841 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,343/month, or 26% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $82K get you in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Buffalo-Cheektowaga’s Regional Price Parity (95.84). 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
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What this looks like in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Urban and regional planners pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga tracks closely to the national median, $82K locally vs. $89K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,343/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.84) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for urban and regional planners in metros near Buffalo-Cheektowaga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $99K | $88K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $88K | $89K |
| Rochester | $93K | $95K |
| Syracuse | $78K | $82K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $136K or more, a $85K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a urban and regional planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Yes — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 25.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,343/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,078/month. At HUD’s $1,343/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $82K locally vs. $89K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Buffalo-Cheektowaga compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — below the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
The median is $82,270 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,300, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $136,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,195/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,343/month, which eats 25.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a urban and regional planners salary go in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Buffalo-Cheektowaga has a Regional Price Parity of 95.84 (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 urban and regional planners salary is worth about $85,841 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.