Entry-level Urban and Regional Planner salary in Boston, MA

Based on 18 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cambridge, Lowell, Somerville, Quincy.

Also listed as: Urban Designer, Urban Planner

Median salary$76,666
Middle 50%$75k–$82.2k
vs. all levels here−5%comparison median $80,829
Filings18FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $69,182 and $109,843.
PercentileSalary
10th$71,400
25th$75,000
50th (median)$76,666
75th$82,240
90th$102,723

Cost of living

Boston's median entry-level Urban and Regional Planner salary of $76,666 is worth about $70,800 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).

Compared with all workers here

All Urban and Regional Planners in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $103,460 in May 2025 (1,100 employed). The H-1B median here is $76,666, 26% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Sasaki Associates$80,00010
CBT-Childs Bertman Tseckarestoo few2
City of Boston Treasury Divisiontoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $76,666 18
Mid-level · Level II $79,415 16
Senior · Level III too few 2
Expert · Level IV – 0

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$69,014$76,66618
Mid-level · Level II$73,611$79,41516

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.