Electrical and Electronics Drafters Salary
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, electrical and electronics drafters earn $69,500 at the median, or about $33.41 an hour. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $67,091 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 39% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $70K actually covers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Electrical and electronics drafters pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $70K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 39.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electrical and electronics drafters in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $71K | $76K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $74K | $76K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $80K | $84K |
| St. Louis | $75K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level electrical and electronics drafters (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $47K 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
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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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 39.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical and electronics drafters typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,531/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $70K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for electrical and electronics drafters?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — below the national median.
How much do electrical and electronics drafters make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $69,500 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,500, and experienced electrical and electronics drafters can clear $100,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,487/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 39.7% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (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 $67,091 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.