Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Madison, WI make a median of $103,940 a year, or about $49.97 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.29), that's roughly $106,835 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,168/month, or 17.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $104K get you in Madison?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Madison’s Regional Price Parity (97.29). 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 Madison
Madison sits well above the national pay line for urban and regional planners, local pay runs about 16% higher than the U.S. median of $89K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,168/month, 18.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.29) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Madison offers a genuinely strong financial position for urban and regional plannerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for urban and regional planners in metros near Madison, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $101K | $104K |
| Green Bay | $76K | $82K |
| Oshkosh-Neenah | $67K | $72K |
| Appleton | $82K | $88K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Madison, WI
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $104K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $69K 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 Madison?
Yes — at the median salary of $104K, rent takes 18.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,168/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in Madison?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,743/month. At HUD’s $1,168/month FMR, rent would take 31% 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 Madison?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $104K here vs. $89K nationally.
How does Madison compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Madison pays $104K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.29), the purchasing-power equivalent is $107K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Madison, WI?
The median is $103,940 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,380, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $131,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $104K enough to live in Madison?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,420/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,168/month, which eats 18.2% 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 Madison?
Madison has a Regional Price Parity of 97.29 (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 $106,835 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.