Electrical and Electronics Drafters Salary
In Boulder, CO, electrical and electronics drafters earn $103,910 at the median, or about $49.96 an hour. The range runs from $65K at the entry level to $146K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.2), so that salary is closer to $98,774 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,033/month, about 30.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $104K actually covers in Boulder, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boulder’s Regional Price Parity (105.2). 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 electrical and electronics drafters
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What this looks like in Boulder
Boulder sits well above the national pay line for electrical and electronics drafters, local pay runs about 35% higher than the U.S. median of $77K. Rent runs $2,033/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.2), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electrical and electronics drafters in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $80K | $75K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $69K | $67K |
| Omaha | $56K | $61K |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $82K | $82K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level electrical and electronics drafters (10th percentile) start around $65K. Mid-career wages sit at $104K. Top earners bring in $146K or more, a $81K spread from bottom to top.
Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Electrical and Electronics Drafters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $102K | +33% | 220 |
| New Mexico | $101K | +32% | 390 |
| Massachusetts | $87K | +14% | 470 |
| North Carolina | $82K | +7% | 430 |
| Idaho | $82K | +6% | 100 |
| Ohio | $81K | +5% | 510 |
| Texas | $81K | +5% | 1,840 |
| Georgia | $81K | +5% | 470 |
| Indiana | $80K | +4% | 360 |
| Utah | $79K | +3% | 290 |
| Colorado | $79K | +3% | 750 |
| Kentucky | $79K | +3% | 80 |
| California | $78K | +2% | 2,730 |
| Oregon | $78K | +2% | 330 |
| New York | $78K | +1% | 850 |
| New Jersey | $78K | +1% | 240 |
| Minnesota | $77K | +1% | 250 |
| Tennessee | $77K | +0% | 340 |
| Missouri | $77K | -0% | 420 |
| South Carolina | $76K | -1% | 290 |
| Maryland | $76K | -2% | 380 |
| Wisconsin | $76K | -2% | 470 |
| Maine | $75K | -2% | 110 |
| Iowa | $74K | -3% | 180 |
| Michigan | $74K | -4% | 380 |
| Arizona | $73K | -5% | 570 |
| Florida | $73K | -5% | 660 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | -5% | 500 |
| Washington | $72K | -6% | 390 |
| Nevada | $71K | -7% | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $70K | -10% | 290 |
| Illinois | $68K | -11% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $68K | -11% | 80 |
| Connecticut | $67K | -13% | 430 |
| Wyoming | $65K | -16% | 40 |
| Virginia | $65K | -16% | 280 |
| Delaware | $63K | -17% | 60 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -19% | 150 |
| Kansas | $61K | -21% | 210 |
| Nebraska | $60K | -23% | 190 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -24% | 110 |
| Alabama | $52K | -33% | 300 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -34% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track electrical and electronics drafters salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Boulder numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a electrical and electronics drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boulder?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $104K, rent takes 31.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,033/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for electrical and electronics drafters in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical and electronics drafters typically earn — is $65K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,261/month. At HUD’s $2,033/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is electrical and electronics drafter a high-paying job in Boulder?
Local pay is 35% above the national median — $104K here vs. $77K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for electrical and electronics drafters?
Boulder pays $104K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s +35%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $99K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do electrical and electronics drafters make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $103,910 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $64,820, and experienced electrical and electronics drafters can clear $145,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $104K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,410/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,033/month, which eats 31.7% 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 electrical and electronics drafters salary go in Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 105.2 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median electrical and electronics drafters salary is worth about $98,774 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do electrical and electronics drafters 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.