Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other Salary
In Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others earn $81,470 at the median, or about $39.17 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $79,444 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,810/month, about 34.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $81K actually covers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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 engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other pay in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $78K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,810/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others in metros near Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | $64K | $67K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $48K | $49K |
| York-Hanover | $61K | $63K |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $47K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $71K spread from bottom to top.
Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $107K | +37% | 810 |
| New Mexico | $102K | +30% | 1,390 |
| Maryland | $100K | +28% | 2,630 |
| Washington | $100K | +27% | 2,310 |
| Virginia | $98K | +26% | 3,720 |
| Rhode Island | $95K | +21% | 380 |
| Nevada | $94K | +20% | 590 |
| Hawaii | $90K | +15% | 410 |
| Alaska | $90K | +15% | 380 |
| Indiana | $89K | +13% | 480 |
| New Jersey | $87K | +12% | 880 |
| Oklahoma | $81K | +4% | 870 |
| West Virginia | $81K | +4% | 450 |
| Minnesota | $81K | +4% | 670 |
| North Dakota | $81K | +3% | 100 |
| South Carolina | $81K | +3% | 620 |
| California | $80K | +3% | 7,330 |
| Illinois | $80K | +2% | 940 |
| Wyoming | $79K | +1% | 130 |
| Utah | $79K | +1% | 920 |
| Mississippi | $79K | +1% | 350 |
| Ohio | $78K | -1% | 1,340 |
| Oregon | $77K | -2% | 1,010 |
| New Hampshire | $77K | -2% | 340 |
| Colorado | $76K | -3% | 1,260 |
| Delaware | $76K | -3% | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $75K | -4% | 480 |
| Connecticut | $75K | -4% | 1,300 |
| Alabama | $75K | -5% | 690 |
| Michigan | $74K | -6% | 1,130 |
| Texas | $74K | -6% | 7,110 |
| Missouri | $72K | -8% | 590 |
| North Carolina | $72K | -8% | 1,530 |
| Florida | $71K | -10% | 2,820 |
| Pennsylvania | $69K | -12% | 1,610 |
| Georgia | $68K | -13% | 1,890 |
| Arkansas | $68K | -13% | 230 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | -14% | 990 |
| Nebraska | $67K | -14% | 260 |
| Idaho | $66K | -16% | 260 |
| Montana | $66K | -16% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $66K | -16% | 380 |
| New York | $66K | -16% | 2,000 |
| Iowa | $63K | -19% | 380 |
| Kansas | $62K | -21% | 920 |
| Arizona | $60K | -24% | 990 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -25% | 2,110 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -25% | 990 |
| Vermont | $53K | -33% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 34.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,364/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other a high-paying job in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $78K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $81,470 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,600, and experienced engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others can clear $120,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,267/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 34.4% 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 engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary go in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (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 engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary is worth about $79,444 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do engineering technologists and technicians, except 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.