Urban Planner.
Boise.
$77,000
median salary, 8% below the national average
$60,000 to $95,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Urban Planner pay in Boise at $77,000, within a range of $60,000 to $95,000. That is 8% below the national average. Boise has emerged as one of the fastest growing tech cities in the Mountain West, driven by Micron Technology, HP, and a wave of startup relocations. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Urban Planner in Boise, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $80,390 for Urban and Regional Planners (SOC 19-3051) in the Boise City, ID metropolitan area, based on 150 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$50,340
25th percentile
$62,900
Median
$80,390
75th percentile
$91,010
90th percentile
$115,920
Workers surveyed
150
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Urban and Regional Planners (SOC 19-3051) rather than Urban Planner specifically. The Boiserange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 19-3051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $69,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$50,000
to $62,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$65,000
to $81,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$85,000
to $100,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$96,000
to $119,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $20,000 to the total package.
Base
$77,000
Equity
$11,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $97,000
How Boise compares.
Boise, ID
$77,000
Cost of living: 5% below average
National Average
$84,000
Boise is $7,000 below
Urban Planner salary by city.
Salary by role in Boise.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Urban Planner roles in Boise, here is what you are walking into. Boise has emerged as one of the fastest growing tech cities in the Mountain West, driven by Micron Technology, HP, and a wave of startup relocations. The city's quality of life and affordability have attracted significant in-migration from California and Washington. Tech salaries are rising fast as demand outpaces local talent supply. Employer type and specialization area create the most variation. Planners in transportation, environmental, or economic development earn 10 to 20% more than generalists. Private consulting firms pay higher base salaries than municipalities but with less job security. AICP certification and GIS proficiency boost earning potential at all levels.
Junior planners start at $56,000 to $65,000. Senior planners with AICP certification earn $72,000 to $95,000 after five to seven years. Planning directors at municipalities reach $100,000 to $140,000, with community development directors exceeding $150,000 in large cities. In Boise, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Municipal planners receive generous public benefits, pension plans, and steady 2 to 4% annual step increases. Private sector planners earn 8 to 12% bonuses tied to project billing. Some jurisdictions offer housing assistance for planners working in high-cost areas. And on the tax side: idaho has a flat 5.8% state income tax. Boise has no city income tax. While higher than neighboring states, the rate is offset by affordable housing and low overall cost of living. When someone quotes you $77,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Bay Area and Seattle talent competition. Boise employers increasingly match 80 to 90% of coastal salaries for in demand tech roles. The range for Urban Planners in Boise runs from $60,000 to $95,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A Web Developer in Boise earns $76,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Boise is CTO at $296,000
Common questions.
Urban Planner salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Boise.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Urban Planners in Boise.
Related tools.
Do you work as an urban planner in Boise?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools