Summary of 2018 Planners Salary Survey Results

Respondent Profile

The typical (median) planner is 42 years old, has been in the planning field for 14 years, and most commonly specializes in land use, community development, and/or comprehensive or long-range planning.

72 percent of planners work for public entities and 21 percent in private consulting firms.

54 percent of planners reported their principal place of employment is located in an urban area, 32 percent in a suburban area, 11 percent in a rural area, and 2 percent in an exurban area.

Compensation

The typical (median) planner reported an annual base salary of $79,000 as of January 1, 2018; this is up slightly (2.2 percent) from $77,300 reported two years ago.

A large majority (73 percent) of planners never bill hourly for their professional planning services.  Among those who do, the typical (median) planner reported an hourly rate of $122.50 as of January 1, 2018.

Because few planners ever bill hourly, the remaining analysis of compensation is reported for base annual salary only.

Not surprisingly, experience in the planning field correlates positively with salary.

Without accounting for other variables, the typical AICP member earns $17,000 more in salary than the typical APA member who is not AICP-certified. When we control for experience, AICP members still earn a higher salary across the board but at narrower margins.

Another key variable in understanding salary levels is the type of employer.

There are also differences in salary by the location of employment.

Salaries vary significantly by region. The top 10 states for median salary as of January 1, 2018, are shown.

The typical male earns $9,100 more than the typical female, an increase from the gap of $7,700 in 2016.

The difference may be attributed, at least in part, to experience levels.

While it is not large, a gap in salary exists by race. The median salary among those who indicated they are white is $4,000 higher than those who indicated they are a race other than white.

About Readex Research

Readex Research is a nationally recognized, independent research company located in Stillwater, Minnesota. Its roots are in survey research for the magazine publishing industry, but its specialization in conducting high-quality, self-administered surveys has brought it clients from many other markets, including associations, corporate marketers and communicators, and government agencies. With over 50 years of research experience and turnkey e-survey and mail survey capabilities, Readex provides research you can trust, research you can understand, and research you can take action on — in short, research you can use.