What should a planner earn? Here are the typical base salaries for town planning roles in the UK, by level and by type of employer. We keep these figures up to date and use the same ones everywhere on PLANNINGJOBS.COM.
| Level | Consultanciesancy £k | Developers and housebuildersDeveloper £k | Councils and public bodiesCouncil £k |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduate / Assistant Planner | £26k–£32k26–32£28k–£35k28–35 | £29k–£35k29–35£31k–£38k31–38 | £28k–£34k28–34£30k–£37k30–37 |
| Planner / Planning Officer | £32k–£40k32–40£35k–£43k35–43 | £35k–£44k35–44£38k–£48k38–48 | £35k–£42k35–42£38k–£45k38–45 |
| Senior Planner | £40k–£50k40–50£43k–£54k43–54 | £44k–£55k44–55£48k–£59k48–59 | £41k–£49k41–49£44k–£53k44–53 |
| Principal Planner | £50k–£60k50–60£54k–£65k54–65 | £55k–£66k55–66£59k–£71k59–71 | £47k–£56k47–56£51k–£60k51–60 |
| Team Leader | £52k–£62k52–62£56k–£67k56–67 | £57k–£68k57–68£62k–£74k62–74 | £51k–£60k51–60£55k–£65k55–65 |
| Planning Manager / Head of Planning | £52k–£64k52–64£56k–£69k56–69 | £57k–£70k57–70£62k–£76k62–76 | £55k–£66k55–66£59k–£71k59–71 |
| Associate | £60k–£75k60–75£65k–£81k65–81 | £66k–£83k66–83£71k–£89k71–89 | £58k–£70k58–70£63k–£76k63–76 |
| Associate Director | £72k–£95k72–95£78k–£103k78–103 | £79k–£105k79–105£86k–£113k86–113 | £65k–£85k65–85£70k–£92k70–92 |
| Director | £85k–£130k85–130£92k–£140k92–140 | £94k–£143k94–143£101k–£154k101–154 | £75k–£110k75–110£81k–£119k81–119 |
A guide only: actual pay depends on the employer, the role, where it is and the person. London roles typically pay around 8% more. Client-side roles often carry a car allowance and bonus on top, and can go well above these bands for the right person. Built from the planning jobs advertised on PLANNINGJOBS.COM and what employers tell us they pay. Advertised figures on their own run lower, because most consultancy adverts say "Competitive" and the salaries that are published are mostly council grades.
How we put the guide together
The bands come from the planning jobs advertised on PLANNINGJOBS.COM and what employers tell us they pay when they advertise with us. We don't simply average the salaries printed in adverts, because that gives a misleading picture: almost every council advert states a salary, but most consultancy and developer adverts say "Competitive". An average of published salaries is mostly an average of council grades, and it runs low for the private sector.
Each band is the range most roles at that level fall into, for base salary outside London. Some roles pay above or below it, especially at the top levels, where pay depends heavily on the person and the work they bring.
Consultancies
Consultancy pay climbs fastest from Principal level upwards. Associates and Associate Directors are judged on the clients and fee income they look after as well as their planning work, so the spread at those levels is wide. Bonus schemes are common, and private medical cover and extra holiday are often part of the package. Smaller practices often pay close to council rates at junior and mid levels.
Associate or Associate Director? Larger consultancies usually have both grades, with Associate Director the more senior. Many smaller and mid-sized firms have only one grade above Principal, and they call it either Associate or Associate Director. If your firm has a single associate grade, the Associate figure is usually the better comparison, whatever the title.
Developers and housebuilders
Client-side roles, with housebuilders, developers, landowners and promoters, usually pay more than a consultancy for the same level of experience, sometimes a good deal more. A car allowance and an annual bonus tied to planning consents or company results are common on top. These roles tend to go to planners with a few years of consultancy or council experience behind them. For more, see our guide to client-side planning roles.
Councils and public bodies
Council posts sit on published pay grades, so the advert tells you the range. New starters usually join near the bottom of the grade and move up a point each year. Junior and mid-level council pay is often as good as a smaller consultancy, and the Local Government Pension Scheme is worth a lot more than most private pensions. Some councils add a market supplement on top of the grade for hard-to-fill posts, often a few thousand pounds a year.
London and the regions
London roles typically pay around 8% more than the bands above. Elsewhere the differences are smaller than many people expect, and some councils outside London pay well above their neighbours to fill posts. Here is how each region compares, from the planning jobs advertised with us:
| Region | Pay | Senior Planner | Principal Planner |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | +8% | £43k–£54k | £51k–£65k |
| South East | +3% | £41k–£52k | £48k–£62k |
| East of England | +2% | £41k–£51k | £48k–£61k |
| South West | about the same | £40k–£50k | £47k–£60k |
| North West | −1% | £40k–£50k | £47k–£59k |
| West Midlands | −3% | £39k–£49k | £46k–£58k |
| East Midlands | −4% | £38k–£48k | £45k–£58k |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | −6% | £38k–£47k | £44k–£56k |
| Wales | −6% | £38k–£47k | £44k–£56k |
Worked out level by level from 722 planning adverts on PLANNINGJOBS.COM that stated a salary over the last 18 months, then applied to the guide above (councils and consultancies; developers often pay more). Regions with too few adverts to be reliable are left out.
For what councils are advertising area by area, see planning salaries by region.
Salaries in job adverts: what's changing
At the moment most councils publish a salary range on every advert, while most consultancies and developers say "Competitive". That may change. In July 2026 the government opened a consultation on requiring all employers to include pay in their job adverts, or to give it in writing before interview where there is no advert. It is a proposal, not law yet: the consultation closed on 27 October 2026 and the government's response is still to come, the detail (including how wide a range can be) would follow in regulations, and no start date has been set. We'll update this guide when there's news.
Using the guide
- Applying for a job that says "Competitive"? Use the band for the level and type of employer as your starting point, and ask for the range early. Our guide to negotiating a planning salary has more.
- Weighing up a move up a level? See Senior vs Principal Planner for how the work changes.
- Hiring? Adverts that state a salary stand out, especially against the many that say "Competitive", and on our site they also rank higher when planners sort jobs by pay. Advertise a planning job with us.
For what is being advertised right now, including the salaries in live adverts, see our latest monthly market report.
Help keep this guide accurate
The more planners who share their pay, the better this guide gets, and your figures will feed into our planning salary survey. It takes a minute and it's anonymous.
Planning salary questions
How much does a town planner earn in the UK?
A Planner or Planning Officer typically earns £32,000 to £44,000. Graduates usually start on £26,000 to £35,000, and pay rises with experience and responsibility, to £40,000 to £55,000 for a Senior Planner and £47,000 to £66,000 for a Principal Planner.
How much does a Senior Planner earn?
A Senior Planner typically earns £40,000 to £55,000, depending on the employer, the region and the work. Developers and housebuilders tend to pay at the top of that range, and London roles around 8% more.
How much does a Principal Planner earn?
A Principal Planner typically earns £47,000 to £66,000. Consultancies and client-side employers usually pay more than councils at this level, though council posts come with a stronger pension.
What do Associates and Directors earn in planning?
Associates typically earn £58,000 to £83,000, Associate Directors £65,000 to £105,000 and Directors £75,000 to £143,000, often with a bonus on top. Pay at these levels depends heavily on the clients and fee income someone looks after.
Do planning consultancies pay more than councils?
At junior and mid levels, often not by much: councils frequently pay as well as smaller consultancies. From Principal level upwards, consultancies and especially developers and housebuilders usually pay more, while councils offer the Local Government Pension Scheme and clear pay grades.
Do planners in London earn more?
Yes. Across the planning jobs advertised with us, London roles pay around 8% more than the UK as a whole at the same level.