Would anyone working in the private sector be willing to share their salary, job title, and years of experience?
I am very interested in pursuing a masters in urban planning, but the salaries ive seen for entry level positions seem very low.
Would anyone working in the private sector be willing to share their salary, job title, and years of experience?
I am very interested in pursuing a masters in urban planning, but the salaries ive seen for entry level positions seem very low.
No.Originally posted by 4ever_calzone
Just bear in mind that private sector salaries, like public sector, vary depending on location.
I found you a new motto from a sign hanging on their wall…"Drink coffee: do stupid things faster and with more energy"
Thank you?
No dark side planner in their right mind is going to post their salary here, kid.
I found you a new motto from a sign hanging on their wall…"Drink coffee: do stupid things faster and with more energy"
I make One MILLION Dollars!
(puts pinky up to slightly curled mouth)
We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes - Fr Gabriel Richard 1805
More than the industry average for a consultant with 8 years of experience. So far I have earned (2) four-figure bonuses (end of the year and mid-year) since I have started in June 2012 and a 12.5% raise after 6 months. I am also slated for a formal change in title at the end of the year with raise, and another, even bigger bonus. The company's owners are VERY generous to their employers, and I think this is the exception to the rule.
Houston is booming. I design subdivisions and master planned communities, but my services are tacked on to multi-million dollar engineering projects. My clients are home builders and developers NOT public sector clients. I work anywhere from a 45-60 hour week, and sometimes more depending on the client. There is also an acute shortage of designers nationwide who can quickly design tracts larger than 50 acres.
"This is great, honey. What's the crunchy stuff?"
"M&Ms. I ran out of paprika."
Family Guy
It is really hard to compare salaries because of all the considerations one has to take into account:
- location
- benefits
- bonus structure
- hours worked
Going from public to private I got a 20% pay increase, not including bonuses. Ancillary benefits are gone (dental/vision), but my health coverage is about the same when it's all said and done. I work more hours, but enjoy the work a lot more. I will say that the bonus structure where I am at gives me a hell of a lot more incentive than I ever had working on the public side of things.
Forgot to mention retirement too.
No one is ever going to give up their salary here in public. As other said:
Pay is better than public
Bonuses are a great incentive to getting more work out of you
Insurance plans are typically not as good as public sector
Most companies offer some sort of 401K match
Pay increases are based on merit
As nick said, some pay increases can be off the chart. Before the end of the boom i earned a 13% salary increase from year to year and had a few years with 4 figure bonus, lots of company activities, and the work was great.
When the great recession hit, first the bonuses went away, than the 401k match, health insurance went up, pay went down, than hours cut, than job cut.
Call up some local figures and ask what the hourly rates are for planners, specifically assistant or junior planners, or whatever they call the bottom rung crew. Assume about 20-30 percent is what they actually make as an hourly wage, before taxes.
When someone yells "stop", I ask myself if I should collaborate and listen...
Location will impact salaries for both the public and private sector. The size of the organization and even the types of projects they pursue will also impact the salaries and benefits offered. My salary is decent and the growth potential seems good as well, but don't expect to make it rich in this profession.
Last edited by dw914er; 11 Sep 2013 at 11:43 AM.
And that concludes staff’s presentation...
nrschmid: Your job sounds cool!
Pretty right on with the assessment of private sector. I'm working there now for a homebuilder, so not in planning/ED anymore, but I will say my salary is significantly higher than what it was in public sector (by about 30%). PTO and holidays are about the same. There is 401k matching but of course no pension system. Health benefits are about the same as public in my case. Not sure about raises yet since I've only been here 7 months but I know that last year the other employees in my dept. got 5% raise plus a 10% bonus at the end of the year. That better than I ever got in public sector, where it was usually just 2-4% for COLA.
Then again, I am in a different industry so it's not really apples to apples.
"When life gives you lemons, just say 'No thanks'." - Henry Rollins
You can always go to the APA website, they have a salary survey somewhere. If you've got mad skills like someone, you get bonuses and salary. For the rest of the entry level guys, you get entry level pay. Talk to someone about how to get the company to make you an offer without disclosing your desires during interviews. It's all negotiation.
Need a planner? Why not Dvd?
While designing large master planned communities certainly isn't brain surgery, its takes an interesting combination of experience, training, engineering know how, skill and artistic abilities. I've always felt very lucky to be a large scale land planner and urban designer. Everyday is a different project to tackle while trying to something unique each time.
There's a salary calculator on the APA website: http://www.planning.org/salary/
I find that it is relatively accurate for salaries, in my region at least.
Well this survey just ruined my day.
Do not trust the APA survey too much, as it is a biased sample (APA members rather than all planners). The comments about location, the position, your experience, etc. are on target.
At the entry level I would say that most private sector positions will pay more, but then, there are fewer entry level positions in the private sector. Consulting firms like to hire people who have worked in the public sector a few years. This is partly so that they have the experience of working with public bodies, and also so that they have some credentials that can be marketed. Mid-level consulting planners will tend to earn above average, or comparable to salaries in larger or higher-income locations. At the senior level consultants will earn comparable salaries to a director.
Anyone want to adopt a dog?
Quote
