Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Charleston-North Charleston, SC make a median of $74,840 a year, or about $35.98 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $74,128 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 36.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $75K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). 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 Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for urban and regional planners in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $89K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 37.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for urban and regional plannerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for urban and regional planners in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $76K | $82K |
| Columbia | $72K | $77K |
| Spartanburg | $75K | $82K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $95K | $97K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $43K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a urban and regional planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 37.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,563/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $75K here vs. $89K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — below the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $74,840 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,380, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $102,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,823/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 37.1% 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 urban and regional planners salary go in Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (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 $74,128 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.