Electrical and Electronics Drafters Salary
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, electrical and electronics drafters earn $74,520 at the median, or about $35.83 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $126K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $66,601 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 61.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $75K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Electrical and electronics drafters pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad tracks closely to the national median, $75K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 62.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $78K | $68K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $116K | $105K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $85K | $73K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $67K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level electrical and electronics drafters (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $126K or more, a $76K 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a electrical and electronics drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 62.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new electrical and electronics drafters typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,983/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 101% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $75K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for electrical and electronics drafters?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — below the national median.
How much do electrical and electronics drafters make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $74,520 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,720, and experienced electrical and electronics drafters can clear $125,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,812/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 62.4% 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (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 $66,601 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.