Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Columbus, OH make a median of $78,750 a year, or about $37.86 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $104K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $82,487 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,430/month, or 27.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $79K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). 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 Columbus
Pay for urban and regional planners in Columbus runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $89K. Rent runs $1,430/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) 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 Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | $80K | $84K |
| Cleveland | $81K | $87K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $87K | $94K |
| Akron | $82K | $88K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $79K. Top earners bring in $104K or more, a $45K 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 Columbus?
Yes — at the median salary of $79K, rent takes 27.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,511/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Columbus?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $79K here vs. $89K nationally.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Columbus pays $79K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — below the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $78,750 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,520, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $103,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $79K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,193/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 27.5% 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 Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (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 $82,487 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.