Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in California

Want to work in California as a Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner? Read this first!

You’re in luck! Jobs for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in California is growing faster than average.

• Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Work in California?

In 2018, there were 16,200 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners working in the state.

There were 13,910 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 2,290 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 1,210 Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners working in it, which means California has more Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in this state are growing at a rate of 14.1% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 10.9%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 2,020 annual job openings, and a total of 17,000 jobs for California Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 15,100 annual jobs and 129,400 total jobs in 2026.

What do Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners ranged from $30,900 to $94,780 with $53,100 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $14.85 to $45.57. The median hourly rate was $25.53.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $24.57 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $0.96.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Top California Metros for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	6,750	$49,190
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	3,200	$62,330
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	1,640	$46,780
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	1,190	$69,180
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA	730	$56,020
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	650	$47,630
Santa Rosa, CA	260	$51,090
Napa, CA	210	$46,850
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	170	$50,860
Fresno, CA	160	$42,370
Salinas, CA	140	$49,140
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA	130	$34,510
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	110	$49,870
Stockton-Lodi, CA	110	$45,580
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	90	$41,410
Modesto, CA	80	$40,840
Bakersfield, CA	70	$31,780
Chico, CA	40	$42,750
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	40	$42,450

Top States for Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Employment

View the list below to see where most Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	16,200	$53,100
New York	10,340	$60,510
Florida	7,540	$45,130
Texas	7,490	$49,080
Illinois	4,420	$49,170
Virginia	3,870	$57,980
Pennsylvania	3,840	$45,160
North Carolina	3,120	$42,520
Massachusetts	3,090	$52,480
New Jersey	3,060	$61,750
Colorado	3,030	$48,210
Ohio	3,000	$44,890
Maryland	2,870	$55,760
Michigan	2,720	$45,530
Georgia	2,700	$48,370
Washington	2,650	$49,690
Minnesota	2,530	$51,650
District of Columbia	2,510	$65,090
Missouri	2,360	$42,390
Tennessee	1,830	$41,170

Below are the states where Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia	$65,090
New Jersey	$61,750
New York	$60,510
Virginia	$57,980
Connecticut	$56,470
Maryland	$55,760
Hawaii	$53,740
Alaska	$53,320
California	$53,100
Rhode Island	$52,940

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By Bblackpsu under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.