Urban and Regional Planners Salary
Urban and Regional Planners in Salem, OR make a median of $107,960 a year, or about $51.91 an hour. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $127K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $104,158 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,560/month, or 23.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $108K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for urban and regional planners, local pay runs about 21% higher than the U.S. median of $89K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,560/month, 24.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Salem 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 Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $103K | $98K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $102K | $101K |
| Bend | $106K | $102K |
| Medford | $85K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level urban and regional planners (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $108K. Top earners bring in $127K or more, a $54K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Salem numbers change.
Related careers in Science
Frequently asked questions
Can a urban and regional planner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
Yes — at the median salary of $108K, rent takes 24.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for urban and regional planners in Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new urban and regional planners typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,422/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Salem?
Local pay is 21% above the national median — $108K here vs. $89K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for urban and regional planners?
Salem pays $108K median vs. the U.S. average of $89K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $104K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do urban and regional planners make in Salem, OR?
The median is $107,960 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $73,700, and experienced urban and regional planners can clear $127,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $108K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,285/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 24.8% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (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 $104,158 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.