Develop land use plans and programs to manage growth and revitalize communities. Median salary in Houston: $73K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.
Figures represent annual base salary in Houston, Texas. Reviewed by SalaryOptics Editorial · How we calculate this →
Analysis derived from the salary, COL, tax, and labor-market figures above — specific to this role and city.
Urban Planners in Houston earn approximately 9% lower than the US national median for this role — a $7,000 discount on annual base salary. Houston's lower wage level partially reflects the area's cost-of-living index of 91 (US avg = 100).
Texas has no state income tax, which is worth roughly $6,789 per year at this salary level compared to a California Urban Planner on the same gross pay. A Houston Urban Planner would need to earn $80,485 in California to net the same take-home.
Average 1-bedroom rent in Houston ($1,250/mo) consumes approximately 29% of an after-tax median Urban Planner salary. Financial planners typically recommend keeping housing under 30% of take-home — a salary at the 75th percentile ($93K) brings that ratio into a more comfortable range here.
Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2026. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $73K by 2030.
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The median Urban Planner salary in Houston, TX is $73,000 per year as of Q1 2026. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Houston–TX metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.
Entry-level Urban Planners in Houston with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $55,000 and $73,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $73,000 to $93,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $93,000 to $118,000 or more.
Houston has a cost of living index of 91 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 9% further in Houston than the national average. Crucially, Texas has no state income tax — giving Houston-based Urban Planners an immediate 5–7% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).
Master's in Urban Planning; AICP certification. 25% of these roles offer some remote flexibility.