SOC 19-3051 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Urban and Regional Planners Salary in Hickory, NC

The average salary for urban and regional planners in Hickory, North Carolina is $77,000 a year ($37.02 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $75,350: half of the 40 people in this job in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($94,750).

$77,000average per year

$37.02 / hourMedian $75,350Take-home ≈ $60,436

  • $54K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $75KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
-19%vs U.S. average
#8 of 9North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Urban and Regional Planners pay range in Hickory

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $100,250 or more. The middle half of urban and regional planners in Hickory earn between $60,380 and $95,250.

  • $54K10th
  • $60K25th
  • $75KMedian
  • $95K75th
  • $100K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$77,000$6,417$37.02
Median$75,350$6,279$36.23
Entry level (25th percentile)$60,380$5,032$29.03
Experienced (75th percentile)$95,250$7,938$45.79

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Urban and Regional Planners pay in Hickory vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Urban and regional planners in Hickory earn 8% less than the North Carolina average ($83,610) and 19% less than the U.S. average ($94,750). At the median the gap is -16% against the U.S. median of $89,320.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Hickory$77,000$75,350$53,510$100,25040
North Carolina$83,610$81,230$58,830$112,1101,630
United States$94,750$89,320$60,010$134,49044,230

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Urban and Regional Planners salary after taxes in Hickory

On the average salary of $77,000, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $60,436 a year, or $5,036 a month and $2,324 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Hickory a good place for urban and regional planners? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $77,000 buys what about $87,019 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $77,000 is worth in another city

Urban and Regional Planners salary in other North Carolina cities

Hickory ranks 8th of 9 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Raleigh pays the most ($87,940).

All Urban and Regional Planners salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for urban and regional planners

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($141,020).

Urban and Regional Planners salary by city

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Urban and Regional Planners salary in Hickory: questions

How much do urban and regional planners make an hour in Hickory?

$37.02 an hour on average, and $36.22 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level urban and regional planners salary in Hickory?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $53,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $60,380, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the urban and regional planners take-home pay in Hickory?

About $60,436 a year ($5,036 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,000.

Do urban and regional planners earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?

The average here is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($94,750).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 19-3051; area Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.82, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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