The APA/AICP 2008 Planners Salary Survey gives current and comprehensive information on the compensation of "planners" — that is, domestic APA Regular or New Professional members employed or self-employed full-time and year-round as planners or in planning-related positions. It updates surveys last conducted by APA and AICP in 2004 and 2006.
The typical (median) planner is 43 years old and has been in the planning field for 14 years. Almost all planners indicated an area of specialization, the most common being community development and redevelopment (51%) and land-use or code enforcement (44%). Other areas of specialization include transportation planning (26%), environmental and natural resources planning (25%), urban design (23%), and economic planning and development (21%). 67% of planners work in public agencies and 25% in private consulting firms. 63% of planners report their principal place of employment is located in a city, with 21% naming a suburb, 11% a small town, and 3% a rural area.
Median annual salary has increased from $63,700 per year in 2006 to $70,000 in 2008, a gain of 9.9% over two years, or an annualized rate of 4.8% per year. This compares very favorably with the core rate of inflation (CPI — all urban consumers), which gained 3.2% per year during that period.
Annual Salary
base: 12,940 full-time planners |
Total compensation in 2006 was $65,000, and in 2008 it is $71,000, with $55,000 being the 25th percentile (25% earn less) and $95,000 being the 75th percentile.
Without accounting for other variables such as experience and responsibility, AICP members make, on average, $18,000 more than non–AICP members. However, when we control for experience, AICP members still earn a higher salary across the board but at narrower margins.
Salary x AICP Status
base: 12,940 full-time planners |
The strongest correlation to salary is experience:
Salary x Experience
base: 12,940 full-time planners |
Another key variable in understanding salary levels is the nature of the employer:
Salary x Employer
base: 12,940 full-time planners |
And the location of employment:
Salary x Area
base: 12,940 full-time planners |
Salaries vary significantly by region (Census Division). This table shows the top states for median salary in 2008:
| n | 25% earn less | 50% earn less | 75% earn less | |
| District of Columbia | 100 | $75,000 | $95,500 | $115,000 |
| California | 1717 | $70,000 | $86,400 | $113,300 |
| New Jersey | 269 | $65,000 | $83,000 | $108,500 |
| Nevada | 145 | $63,500 | $80,000 | $99,500 |
| Connecticut | 152 | $60,000 | $75,000 | $95,100 |
| Hawaii | 76 | $55,700 | $75,000 | $99,500 |
| Maryland | 283 | $58,000 | $75,000 | $100,000 |
| Massachusetts | 275 | $60,000 | $74,000 | $93,000 |
| Washington | 570 | $60,000 | $74,000 | $90,000 |
| Arizona | 392 | $58,000 | $73,000 | $95,000 |
| Alaska | 46 | $53,800 | $72,000 | $90,400 |
| New York | 544 | $55,000 | $71,000 | $96,900 |
| Colorado | 452 | $57,000 | $70,000 | $87,900 |
| Florida | 1211 | $55,000 | $70,000 | $92,000 |
| Illinois | 500 | $55,000 | $70,000 | $94,800 |
| Virginia | 526 | $52,200 | $70,000 | $93,100 |
| Minnesota | 308 | $55,000 | $66,800 | $78,300 |
| New Hampshire | 58 | $54,400 | $66,500 | $76,600 |
| Texas | 622 | $52,000 | $66,000 | $90,000 |
Gender earnings have changed slightly in the last two years, and not for the better. In 2006, females earned 88 cents on the dollar, whereas earnings in 2008 are down to 85 cents on the dollar. The gender gap grows with increasing experience:
Salary x Gender and Experience
base: 12,940 full-time planners |
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The salary survey is for the use of individual APA members only. It is not to be distributed by any member either in print or electronically.
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