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Town planner salary in Malaysia

Gaji Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan DesaGaji Penolong Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa

What the federal government pays new town planners at each entry level under the 2026 public-service pay scale, with the allowances set by the JPA circular.

MalaysiaSSPA pay scale · Budget 2026DOSM Salaries & WagesRM per monthUpdated 25 Oct 2026
Government pay scaleBasic pay range / month
Entry, certificate or diplomaAssistant town planning officer, JA5RM1,650–6,620Entry, degreeTown planning officer, J9RM2,250–11,110PromotionGrade 10RM3,840–12,150SeniorGrade 12RM5,530–13,540SeniorGrade 13RM6,210–14,370SeniorGrade 14RM6,560–15,360
Minimum to maximum basicScale RM0 to RM16kSSPA pay scale, Budget 2026
Starting basicRM2,690RM32,280 a yearJ9, town planning degreeSee the pay breakdown →With allowancesRM3,590RM43,080 a yearBasic plus RM900 fixed allowances, Kuala LumpurSee the pay breakdown →With a diplomaRM2,055RM24,660 a yearJA5, RM2,865 with allowancesSee every entry level →Top of grade 9RM11,110RM133,320 a yearMaximum basic at J9See the pay scale →
At a glance

Town planner salary in Malaysia

What the job is: Town and traffic planners develop and implement plans and policies for the controlled use of urban and rural land and for traffic systems. ILO ISCO-08, 2164 Town and Traffic Planners

  • Town planning officer (Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa, J9): RM2,690 basic a month (town planning degree), up to RM3,130 for an architecture degree with a postgraduate qualification.
  • With fixed allowances in Kuala Lumpur: RM3,590 a month at J9.
  • Assistant town planning officer (JA5): RM2,055 basic with a diploma, RM2,865 with allowances. A certificate starts at RM1,731.
  • Pay scale: grade 9 runs from RM2,250 to RM11,110, rising RM225 a year.

What a new town planner earns

A town planner at J9 starts on RM2,690 basic, plus RM900 in fixed allowances in Kuala Lumpur: RM3,590 a month. Civil engineering and architecture graduates with a postgraduate town planning qualification start higher.

Grade J9, from the SPA service scheme and the JPA allowance circular. The starting point depends on the qualification.

Qualification or pay itemGrade J9RM a month
Bachelor's degree in town and regional planningStarting basic2,690
Honours degree in geography, economics, social science, anthropology or statistics, with a master's or postgraduate diploma in town planning or a related fieldStarting basic2,690
Civil engineering degree with a master's or postgraduate diploma in town planning or a related fieldStarting basic2,910
Architecture degree with a master's or postgraduate diploma in town planning or a related fieldStarting basic3,130
Fixed allowances, Kawasan AHousing (ITP) RM300, public service (ITKA) RM300, cost of living (BISH) RM300900
Total fixed pay at the start, town planning degreeBasic plus fixed allowances, Kawasan A3,590

Sources: SPA scheme page for grade J9; JPA Pekeliling Perkhidmatan 1/2024, Lampiran E. BISH is lower outside Kawasan A. Totals computed by Foundific.

What it means
  • A year at the starting rate is RM3,590 × 12 = RM43,080.
  • The allowances counted here are the fixed ones in the JPA circular. Any allowance tied to a particular post is not included.

How to become a town planner

Town planners enter at JA5 and J9, depending on the qualification.

Entry levelQualificationStarting basic, RMWith allowances, RM
Assistant town planning officer (Penolong Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa, JA5)Certificate in town and regional planning1,7312,541
Assistant town planning officer (Penolong Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa, JA5)Diploma in town and regional planning2,0552,865
Town planning officer (Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa, J9)Bachelor's degree in town and regional planning2,6903,590
Town planning officer (Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa, J9)Honours degree in geography, economics, social science, anthropology or statistics, with a master's or postgraduate diploma in town planning or a related field2,6903,590
Town planning officer (Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa, J9)Civil engineering degree with a master's or postgraduate diploma in town planning or a related field2,9103,810
Town planning officer (Pegawai Perancang Bandar dan Desa, J9)Architecture degree with a master's or postgraduate diploma in town planning or a related field3,1304,030

Source: SPA scheme pages. Allowances from the JPA circular, Kawasan A: JA5 RM810, J9 RM900. Totals computed by Foundific.

What it means
  • Every route needs a credit in Bahasa Melayu at SPM or SVM.

How pay grows on the government scale

Grade 9 pay rises RM225 a year, from RM2,250 up to RM11,110. Promotion to a higher grade moves an officer onto a higher range.

Minimum and maximum monthly basic salary for each SSPA grade, 2026.

GradeWhoMinimumMaximumYearly increment
5Assistant town planning officer, entry with a certificate or diploma1,6506,620145
9Town planning officer, entry with a degree2,25011,110225
10Promotion grade3,84012,150250
12Promotion grade5,53013,540270
13Promotion grade6,21014,370290
14Promotion grade6,56015,360320

Source: Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 establishment list, Lampiran A: SSPA salary codes and minimum-maximum salaries (page A-1). Basic salary only.

What it means
  • With increments alone, at RM225 a year, an officer starting at RM2,690 would need about 37 yearly increments to reach RM11,110.

Pay after 5, 10 and 20 years

Starting at RM2,690 at grade 9, with the RM225 yearly increment and no promotion. The grade maximum, RM11,110, is reached after about 37 years.

Years in gradeBasic, RM a monthWith fixed allowances, RM a monthFixed pay, RM a year
At the start2,6903,59043,080
After 5 years3,8154,71556,580
After 10 years4,9405,84070,080
After 20 years7,1908,09097,080

Foundific calculation from the Budget 2026 SSPA scale, with fixed allowances at the Kawasan A rate, which do not rise with increments. Promotion, special payments and allowance changes are not included.

Compared with Malaysian pay overall

A new town planner's fixed pay, RM3,590, is above the RM2,940 median for Malaysian citizens. The professional, scientific and technical industry median, RM3,677, covers workers of all grades and years.

FigureSourceRM a month
New town planner, J9, basic plus fixed allowances, Kuala LumpurSPA and JPA, 20263,590
Median salary, professional, scientific and technical industryDOSM, 20243,677
Median salary, all Malaysian citizensDOSM, 20252,940
Median salary, employed degree holders of all agesDOSM, 20245,724
  • The industry median covers all employees in the industry.
  • DOSM figures cover all paid employees and all ages. The government figure is one fixed pay point. Use them to show scale only.
  • Compare your own pay with this scale, the DOSM figures and court awards in the Malaysia salary comparison.

Town planners outside government

No official source publishes town planner pay outside government.

  • DOSM publishes salaries by state, sector and skill level, but not by job title.
  • Private surveys and job ads use different measures and samples, so their figures are not mixed into the tables here.

Data sources and coverage

Government pay for town planners is exact. No official source covers private-sector pay for the job.

SourceWhat it givesStrength
SPA service schemes JA5, J9Starting basic pay by qualificationStrong: official and current
Budget 2026, SSPA pay scaleMinimum, maximum and yearly increment for every gradeStrong: official and current
JPA SSPA circular, Lampiran EFixed allowances by grade and areaStrong: official
DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey 2024 and 2025Industry and national mediansWeak for one job title
  • A payslip shows basic plus allowances plus any shift, on-call or overtime pay, so it can be higher than the fixed figures here.

Is town planner work affected by AI?

The International Labour Organization puts town and traffic planners in its “Minimal” group for exposure to generative AI. Its scores cover the job worldwide, so they apply in Malaysia too.

Based on the International Labour Organization's 2025 index, which scores every core task of a job from 0 (AI cannot help) to 1 (AI could do nearly all of it).

Town planner
MinimalAI exposure
Not exposedVery high

AI can help with a small part of this job, mostly paperwork.

  • Most exposed taskPlanning and advising on routing and control of road…
  • Least exposed taskConferring with government authorities, communities
  • In numbersAI could do a large part of 1 of its 8 main tasks.
Town plannerISCO 2164
Minimalexposure to generative AI
  1. Not exposed
  2. Minimal
  3. Some
  4. Moderate
  5. High
  6. Very high

Scored as ILO group 2164 Town and traffic planners. Average task score 0.41, higher than 78% of the 427 jobs the ILO scored.

Seven factors
FactorTown planner
1Exposure levelThe ILO's rating for the whole job, from not exposed up to very high.Minimal
2Average task scoreHow much of each core task generative AI could do, averaged. 0 means none, 1 means nearly all.0.41 higher than 78% of jobs
3Tasks AI could do much ofTasks scoring 0.5 or more. These are the parts of the job most likely to change.1 of 8
4Hands-on or people tasksTasks scoring under 0.25: physical, in-person or judgement work that AI barely touches.0 of 8
5How even the exposure isEven means AI touches most tasks a little. Uneven means a few tasks are exposed and the rest are not.Even (0.05)
6Most exposed taskWhere AI tools are likely to show up first.Planning and advising on routing and control of road… 0.51
7Least exposed taskThe task AI can help with least.Conferring with government authorities, communities and… 0.33
Most and least exposed tasks
Town planner
Most exposed tasks
  • 0.51Planning and advising on routing and control of road traffic and public…
  • 0.44Compiling and analysing data on economic, legal, political, cultural…
  • 0.42Reviewing and evaluating environmental impact reports
Least exposed tasks
  • 0.33Conferring with government authorities, communities and specialists in fields…
  • 0.34Planning and coordinating the development of land areas for parks, schools…
  • 0.39Planning layout and coordinating development of urban areas
Compared with our other Malaysian guides
JobExposureAvg task score
Administrative assistantVery high0.59
AccountantHigh0.51
IT officerModerate0.49
Computer technicianModerate0.47
Information officerModerate0.43
PTD officerMinimal0.42
Town plannerMinimal0.41
PsychologistSome0.39
Science officerMinimal0.39
ArchitectMinimal0.37
Legal officerMinimal0.36
PharmacistMinimal0.33
Border control officerMinimal0.32
Quantity surveyorNot exposed0.30
EngineerNot exposed0.30
TeacherNot exposed0.30
DoctorNot exposed0.29
Agriculture officerNot exposed0.28
PhysiotherapistMinimal0.28
Environmental health officerNot exposed0.28
Assistant engineerNot exposed0.28
Medical assistantNot exposed0.23
RadiographerNot exposed0.22
NurseMinimal0.22
Community nurseNot exposed0.20
Occupational therapistNot exposed0.20
FirefighterNot exposed0.18
DentistNot exposed0.15
VeterinarianNot exposed0.14
Prison officerNot exposed0.14
Source: ILO Working Paper 140, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (Gmyrek et al., 2025), CC BY 4.0. Malaysian jobs are matched to ILO groups by their ISCO-08 code; MASCO follows ISCO-08 at four digits. The ILO scores international job groups, not Malaysian titles. How we read the AI scores.
What it means
  • Exposure measures how much of the work AI could do or speed up. It does not measure job cuts.

What the pay figures include

Every figure is monthly basic pay or fixed allowances, before deductions.

MeasureIncludesExcludes
Basic salaryGaji pokok on the SSPA scaleAllowances, shift, on-call and overtime pay, special payments
Fixed allowancesITP, BISH, ITKA or ITK, and BIPK as advertised for the postShift, on-call and overtime pay
DOSM salaryMonthly salaries and wages of paid employeesSelf-employed and unpaid family workers

Questions

What is the town planner salary in Malaysia?

A new government town planner starts on RM2,690 basic a month (J9, town planning degree). With fixed allowances in Kuala Lumpur the total is RM3,590 a month, in 2026.

What is the town planner salary per year in Malaysia?

RM3,590 a month is RM43,080 a year in fixed pay, before any shift, on-call or overtime pay and before the special payments the government announces each year.

How does a government town planner's pay grow with years in service?

On the yearly increment alone, basic pay at grade 9 rises RM225 a year: from RM2,690 to about RM3,815 after 5 years and RM4,940 after 10, before any promotion. Foundific calculation from the Budget 2026 scale.

What is the highest town planner salary in government?

Grade 9 runs from RM2,250 to RM11,110 in basic pay. Promotion can lead to grade 14, with a maximum basic of RM15,360 a month (Budget 2026).

How much does a town planner earn in a private company?

No official source publishes town planner pay outside government.

What is the difference between JA5 and J9 for town planners?

JA5 (assistant town planning officer) is the certificate and diploma entry and starts at RM2,055 basic with a diploma. J9 (town planning officer) is the degree entry and starts at RM2,690. The J9 scale runs to RM11,110, against RM6,620 at JA5.

Where do these figures come from?

Starting pay is from the SPA service scheme pages, the pay scale from the Budget 2026 establishment list, and allowances from the JPA SSPA circular. Private-sector context is from DOSM and Industrial Court awards.

MalaysiaMalaysia salary overviewPay by state, sector and skill MalaysiaArchitect salary in MalaysiaGovernment grades, starting pay and allowancesRM2,910 starting basic MalaysiaEngineer salary in MalaysiaGovernment grades, starting pay and allowancesRM2,690 starting basic MalaysiaAssistant engineer salary in MalaysiaGovernment grades, starting pay and allowancesRM1,731 starting basic

Sources

SPA service schemes, Ministry of Finance Budget 2026, JPA SSPA circular, DOSM
  1. Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam, Syarat Permohonan: Penolong Pegawai Perancang Bandar Dan Desa Gred Ja5.
  2. Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam, Syarat Permohonan: Pegawai Perancang Bandar Dan Desa Gred J9.
  3. Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 establishment list, Lampiran A. SSPA minimum-maximum salaries, page A-1.
  4. JPA, Pekeliling Perkhidmatan Bil. 1/2024 (SSPA), Lampiran E: ITP, ITKA and BISH by grade and area.
  5. DOSM, Salaries & Wages Survey Report 2025 and the 2024 report.