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Job title · New Jersey

Urban / City Planner in New Jersey

New Jersey Civil Service Commission lists 8 job classes for this work in the New Jersey state pay plan: Planner Trainee, Assistant Planner, Senior Planner, Principal Planner.

$55,691 – $122,832
state pay plan range, a year
8
classes in the state plan
$86,280
median pay in NJ, all employers
790
workers in NJ (SOC 19-3051)

Sources: New Jersey Civil Service Commission, New Jersey State Title List and FY2027 salary schedules by Employee Relations Group; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

New Jersey state pay plan Sourced

Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective July 11, 2026. These are the ranges New Jersey sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.

Class and gradePublished rate
Planner Trainee
Class 16470 · class description
Grade P95 (16470) · Trainee/Apprentice Titles, FY2027 Compensation Compendium (Appendix A)
$55,691 – $58,222 a year
Planner Trainee
Class 16469 · class description
Grade P95 (16469) · Trainee/Apprentice Titles, FY2027 Compensation Compendium (Appendix A)
$58,222 – $60,876 a year
Assistant Planner
Class 16472 · class description
Grade P19 · ERG P – Professional Unit (CWA): FY2027 salary schedule
$60,876 – $88,743 a year
11 steps
  • Step 1: $60,876 a year
  • Step 2: $63,663 a year
  • Step 3: $66,450 a year
  • Step 4: $69,236 a year
  • Step 5: $72,023 a year
  • Step 6: $74,810 a year
  • Step 7: $77,596 a year
  • Step 8: $80,383 a year
  • Step 9: $83,170 a year
  • Step 10: $85,956 a year
  • Step 11: $88,743 a year
Assistant Planner
Class 16489 · class description
Grade P20 · ERG P – Professional Unit (CWA): FY2027 salary schedule
$63,663 – $92,953 a year
11 steps
  • Step 1: $63,663 a year
  • Step 2: $66,592 a year
  • Step 3: $69,521 a year
  • Step 4: $72,450 a year
  • Step 5: $75,379 a year
  • Step 6: $78,308 a year
  • Step 7: $81,237 a year
  • Step 8: $84,166 a year
  • Step 9: $87,095 a year
  • Step 10: $90,024 a year
  • Step 11: $92,953 a year
Senior Planner
Class 16473 · class description
Grade P22 · ERG P – Professional Unit (CWA): FY2027 salary schedule
$69,668 – $101,951 a year
11 steps
  • Step 1: $69,668 a year
  • Step 2: $72,896 a year
  • Step 3: $76,125 a year
  • Step 4: $79,353 a year
  • Step 5: $82,581 a year
  • Step 6: $85,810 a year
  • Step 7: $89,038 a year
  • Step 8: $92,266 a year
  • Step 9: $95,494 a year
  • Step 10: $98,723 a year
  • Step 11: $101,951 a year
Senior Planner
Class 16490 · class description
Grade P23 · ERG P – Professional Unit (CWA): FY2027 salary schedule
$72,896 – $106,798 a year
11 steps
  • Step 1: $72,896 a year
  • Step 2: $76,287 a year
  • Step 3: $79,677 a year
  • Step 4: $83,067 a year
  • Step 5: $86,457 a year
  • Step 6: $89,847 a year
  • Step 7: $93,237 a year
  • Step 8: $96,628 a year
  • Step 9: $100,018 a year
  • Step 10: $103,408 a year
  • Step 11: $106,798 a year
Principal Planner
Class 16474 · class description
Grade R25 · ERG R – Primary Level Supervisors Unit (CWA): FY2027 salary schedule
$79,844 – $117,228 a year
11 steps
  • Step 1: $79,844 a year
  • Step 2: $83,582 a year
  • Step 3: $87,320 a year
  • Step 4: $91,059 a year
  • Step 5: $94,797 a year
  • Step 6: $98,536 a year
  • Step 7: $102,274 a year
  • Step 8: $106,013 a year
  • Step 9: $109,751 a year
  • Step 10: $113,490 a year
  • Step 11: $117,228 a year
Principal Planner
Class 16491 · class description
Grade R26 · ERG R – Primary Level Supervisors Unit (CWA): FY2027 salary schedule
$83,582 – $122,832 a year
11 steps
  • Step 1: $83,582 a year
  • Step 2: $87,507 a year
  • Step 3: $91,432 a year
  • Step 4: $95,357 a year
  • Step 5: $99,282 a year
  • Step 6: $103,207 a year
  • Step 7: $107,132 a year
  • Step 8: $111,057 a year
  • Step 9: $114,982 a year
  • Step 10: $118,907 a year
  • Step 11: $122,832 a year

Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).

Source: New Jersey Civil Service Commission, New Jersey State Title List and FY2027 salary schedules by Employee Relations Group. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Pay in New Jersey, all employers Sourced

Urban and Regional Planners (SOC 19-3051) in New Jersey, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.

MeasureNJ
Workers790
10th percentile$60,990
Median$86,280
90th percentile$137,790
National median, government employers$87,900

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

More about this job

Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Urban / City Planner page.

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