Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC make a median of $94,670 a year, or about $45.52 an hour. The range runs from $71K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers.
So what does $95K get you in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal’s Regional Price Parity (98). 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
Urban and regional planners pay in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal tracks closely to the national median, $95K locally vs. $89K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,816/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98) 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $75K | , |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $76K | , |
| Columbia | $72K | , |
| Spartanburg | $75K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $71K. Mid-career wages sit at $95K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $53K 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 states
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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $95K, rent takes 30.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,816/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $71K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,242/month. At HUD’s $1,816/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $95K locally vs. $89K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal pays $95K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?
The median is $94,670 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $70,700, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $123,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $95K enough to live in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,880/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,816/month, which eats 30.9% 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median urban and regional planners salary is worth about $96,602 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.