Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other Salary
In Watertown-Fort Drum, NY, engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others earn $74,120 at the median, or about $35.64 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $84,525 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,405/month, or 29% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $74K get you in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). 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 Watertown-Fort Drum
Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other pay in Watertown-Fort Drum tracks closely to the national median, $74K locally vs. $78K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,405/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $79K | $70K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $51K | $52K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $66K | $68K |
| Rochester | $60K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $55K 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
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
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Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 29.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,405/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,074/month. At HUD’s $1,405/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Watertown-Fort Drum?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $74K locally vs. $78K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
The median is $74,120 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,240, and experienced engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all others can clear $106,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,755/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,405/month, which eats 29.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary go in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (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 engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other salary is worth about $84,525 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.
