What's your definition of not-horrible pay?
I'm work in the Public Engagement (PR + stakeholder management + compliance with environmental justice regulations) department of a large planning organization. As an master's student intern, I'm making ~$15/hour. Suits me fine. I'm with them 12-16 hours a week during school and will be full-time in the summer (on their payroll, not work-study, so I'm comfortable saying that I "have the job"). My office's "Coordinator," who graduated with her master's degree in public health last year, earns ~$45K a year. I'd be happy in that kind of role, though my dream is to work in long-range/scenario planning, which is more specialized and a bit better compensated. It's not big bucks by any means, but people work 35-40 hour weeks, receive great benefits, get public service loan forgiveness, and generally enjoy a positive work environment. The more technical folks-- transportation engineers, GIS analysts-- earn more than softer-skilled types at the entry-level. If you go private sector for a development agency or consulting firm, the money's better (but that comes with more conventional expectations about working 50 hours + a week).
You need a master's degree, mostly, unless you're OK working in some random small metropolitan area. I don't actually think I've met anyone at my company that only has a bachelor's. Sometimes GIS technicians can be hired with just a B.S. in GIS, geography, environmental science, or something like that, but I wouldn't recommend that course of action because that puts a ceiling on advancement opportunities.
Instead, I'd work in something related to planning for at least a year or two, and then go for the advanced degree in public administration, planning, public health, nonprofit administration, public policy, or the like. I got the chance to interview because I'm in a respected master's program, but I had an edge because of my previous work experience at a large arts organization in my city. Classmates who've been successful finding internships and summer employment previously worked at real estate companies, in finance, for affordable housing non-profits, etc.
As an aside, barista'ing, bartending, and serving aren't bad jobs if you wend your way into a reliable, high-end place and don't enjoy office environments. I'd rather work in a fancy coffee shop than in a "professional" gig I found dull, personally.