Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other Salary
In Trenton-Princeton, NJ, engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others earn $84,140 at the median, or about $40.45 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.18), that's roughly $81,547 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,950/month, about 36.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $84K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.18). 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
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What this looks like in Trenton-Princeton
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other pay in Trenton-Princeton tracks closely to the national median, $84K locally vs. $78K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.18) 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 engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $90K | $91K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $79K | $70K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $51K | $52K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $81K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $57K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Trenton-Princeton numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/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 Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,947/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $84K locally vs. $78K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others?
Trenton-Princeton pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $84,140 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,120, and experienced engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others can clear $106,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,362/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 36.4% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 103.18 (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 $81,547 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.