Drafters, All Other Salary
The median pay for a drafters, all other in Lancaster, PA is $55,560/year ($26.71/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.26), that's roughly $56,544 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,526/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K get you in Lancaster?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lancaster’s Regional Price Parity (98.26). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About drafters, all others
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What this looks like in Lancaster
Pay for drafters, all other in Lancaster runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,526/month, which is 40.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.26) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for drafters, all others.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for drafters, all others in metros near Lancaster, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $57K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $81K | $72K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $62K | $65K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $58K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lancaster, PA
Entry-level drafters, all others (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Drafters, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Drafters, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $78K | +23% | 350 |
| California | $73K | +16% | 1,750 |
| Wisconsin | $73K | +15% | 200 |
| Washington | $73K | +15% | 520 |
| New York | $72K | +14% | 610 |
| Massachusetts | $72K | +14% | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +11% | 70 |
| Arizona | $70K | +10% | 430 |
| Utah | $69K | +9% | 170 |
| Louisiana | $68K | +8% | 1,200 |
| Michigan | $68K | +7% | 360 |
| Mississippi | $68K | +7% | 70 |
| Colorado | $67K | +6% | 280 |
| Virginia | $67K | +6% | 170 |
| Connecticut | $67K | +5% | 140 |
| Kansas | $66K | +4% | 50 |
| Minnesota | $63K | -0% | 170 |
| Montana | $63K | -1% | 280 |
| Georgia | $62K | -2% | 550 |
| Nevada | $62K | -2% | 180 |
| Missouri | $62K | -2% | 400 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -4% | 60 |
| Iowa | $61K | -4% | 230 |
| Texas | $60K | -6% | 2,450 |
| Florida | $60K | -6% | 670 |
| Vermont | $60K | -6% | 90 |
| North Carolina | $60K | -6% | 320 |
| Oregon | $59K | -7% | 660 |
| Nebraska | $59K | -8% | 110 |
| Indiana | $59K | -8% | 50 |
| Kentucky | $58K | -9% | 50 |
| Ohio | $58K | -9% | 260 |
| Idaho | $56K | -11% | 60 |
| Maryland | $56K | -12% | 160 |
| Maine | $55K | -13% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $54K | -15% | 250 |
| Illinois | $53K | -16% | 190 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -21% | 40 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -24% | 100 |
| Alabama | $47K | -26% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 40 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track drafters, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lancaster numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a drafters, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lancaster?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 40.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,526/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for drafters, all others in Lancaster?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new drafters, all others typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,870/month. At HUD’s $1,526/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is drafters, all other a high-paying job in Lancaster?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $56K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Lancaster compare to the national average for drafters, all others?
Lancaster pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.26), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do drafters, all others make in Lancaster, PA?
The median is $55,560 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,840, and experienced drafters, all others can clear $72,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Lancaster?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,748/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,526/month, which eats 40.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a drafters, all other salary go in Lancaster?
Lancaster has a Regional Price Parity of 98.26 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median drafters, all other salary is worth about $56,544 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do drafters, all others get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.