Electrical and Electronics Drafters Salary
In Richmond, VA, electrical and electronics drafters earn $62,100 at the median, or about $29.86 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $92K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.86), that's roughly $63,458 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month, about 40.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K get you in Richmond?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Richmond’s Regional Price Parity (97.86). 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 Richmond
Pay for electrical and electronics drafters in Richmond runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,655/month, which is 40.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.86) 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 electrical and electronics drafterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for electrical and electronics drafters in metros near Richmond, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $58K | $59K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $73K | $70K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $79K | $81K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $81K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Richmond, VA
Entry-level electrical and electronics drafters (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $92K or more, a $48K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Richmond numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a electrical and electronics drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Richmond?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 40.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Richmond?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical and electronics drafters typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,654/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Richmond?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $62K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Richmond compare to the national average for electrical and electronics drafters?
Richmond pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — below the national median.
How much do electrical and electronics drafters make in Richmond, VA?
The median is $62,100 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,240, and experienced electrical and electronics drafters can clear $91,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Richmond?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,073/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 40.6% 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 Richmond?
Richmond has a Regional Price Parity of 97.86 (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 electrical and electronics drafters salary is worth about $63,458 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.