The APA/AICP 2010 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, 2006, and 2008.

The typical (median) planner is 43 years old and has been in the planning field for 14 years. Almost all planners indicated at least one area of specialization, the most common being community development and redevelopment (51%), and land-use or code enforcement (45%). Other areas of specialization include transportation planning (28%), environmental and natural resources planning (26%), urban design (22%), and economic planning and development (22%). 70% of planners work in public agencies and 23% in private consulting firms. 61% of planners report their principal place of employment is located in a city, another 22% indicated a suburb, 13% a small town, and 4% a rural area.

The 2010 median annual salary remains unchanged since 2008, at $70,000 per year. This does not reflect the core rate of inflation (CPI — all urban consumers), which had a net gain of 4.9% per year during that period.

The median total compensation in 2008, including other cash compensation in addition to salary was $71,000, and in 2010 it is $72,000, with $56,000 being the 25th percentile (25% earn less) and $95,000 being the 75th percentile.

Without accounting for other variables, AICP members make, on average, $18,000 more than non–AICP members. 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 nature of the employer:

Salaries vary significantly by region (Census Division). This table shows the top states for median salary in 2010:

Top States for Median Salary

	n	25% earn less	50% earn less	75% earn less

District of Columbia	104	$64,300	$91,000	$120,800
California	1347	$71,000	$89,000	$115,000
Nevada	115	$66,000	$83,000	$102,000
New Jersey	273	$65,000	$82,000	$105,000
Hawaii	63	$60,000	$80,000	$108,100
Connecticut	124	$64,300	$78,900	$99,500
Alaska	51	$58,300	$75,000	$100,000
Washington	477	$63,000	$75,000	$92,000
Maryland	246	$69,900	$74,500	$94,300
Virginia	498	$55,000	$73,800	$100,000
Illinois	438	$56,000	$73,500	$96,600
Massachusetts	262	$60,200	$73,100	$90,000
Arizona	265	$57,100	$73,000	$96,000
New York	466	$58,000	$73,000	$98,200
Florida	953	$55,000	$71,000	$92,800
Colorado	403	$58,000	$70,100	$89,000
Ohio	268	$51,000	$69,000	$85,000
Minnesota	258	$55,100	$67,000	$81,500
New Hampshire	69	$54,200	$66,500	$78,700

The gender gap in earnings still exists, though it has changed slightly for the better in the last two years. In 2008, females earned 85 cents on the dollar, whereas earnings in 2010 are up to 87 cents on the dollar. The gender gap grows with increasing experience:

How to Access Full Survey Results

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.

Salary Survey Summary

Top States for Median Salary

How to Access Full Survey Results

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