Urban and Regional Planners pay in California

In California, the median pay for urban and regional planners is $52.70 an hour ($109,610 a year). About 7,460 people work in this job there.

$52.70Median hourly pay
$90,330–$136,070Middle half of workers, yearly
7,460People in this job in California

That is 23% higher than the U.S. median ($89,320). California ranks 2nd of 51 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for urban and regional planners in California

Earns more thanHourlyYearly
10% of workers$37.22$77,430
25% of workers$43.43$90,330
Half of workers (median)$52.70$109,610
75% of workers$65.42$136,070
90% of workers$80.26$166,950

Urban and Regional Planners pay in California metro areas

Metro areaMedian yearly payPeople in this job
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$139,360320
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$136,2501,250
Vallejo$129,79070
Napa$128,53030
Salinas$125,300100
Santa Rosa-Petaluma$123,090110
Santa Cruz-Watsonville$112,270100
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$111,3801,920
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$110,520110
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles$109,920100
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$108,760490
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$107,710760
Redding$106,92050
Stockton-Lodi$106,92070
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$105,500150
Fresno$105,330170
Visalia$102,20070
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$96,5801,020
Yuba City$95,16040
Bakersfield-Delano$83,410110

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for urban and regional planners

  • Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
  • Job outlook: +3.9% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 3,200 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

JobMedian yearly pay
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists$116,000
School Psychologists$127,780
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$97,900
Anthropologists and Archeologists$72,240
Psychologists, All Other$157,540
Survey Researchers$83,520
Economists$119,410
Sociologists$125,770

Other job titles for this job

Development TechnicianLand Use PlannerEconomic DeveloperCampus PlannerCity DesignerCity PlannerCity Planning EngineerCommunity Development PlannerCommunity Development TechnicianCommunity PlannerCommunity Planning TechnicianDeveloper Advocate

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.