Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in New Orleans-Metairie, LA make a median of $80,710 a year, or about $38.8 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.6), which stretches that salary to about $87,160 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,331/month, or 26.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K get you in New Orleans-Metairie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New Orleans-Metairie’s Regional Price Parity (92.6). 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 New Orleans-Metairie
Urban and regional planners pay in New Orleans-Metairie tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $89K nationwide, a 10% difference. Rent runs $1,331/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.6 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 New Orleans-Metairie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $84K | $81K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $83K | $84K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $84K | $85K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $81K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $56K 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 25.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,331/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in New Orleans-Metairie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,606/month. At HUD’s $1,331/month FMR, rent would take 37% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $89K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does New Orleans-Metairie compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
New Orleans-Metairie pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — below the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
The median is $80,710 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,100, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $115,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in New Orleans-Metairie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,193/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,331/month, which eats 25.6% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
New Orleans-Metairie has a Regional Price Parity of 92.6 (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 $87,160 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.