Best Cities for Electrical and Electronics Drafterss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where electrical and electronics drafterss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	New MexicoState	1.43	$101,330	$110,141	12%
2	New HampshireState	1.25	$102,070	$96,292	19%
3	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.25	$115,530	$96,115	33%
4	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.17	$87,010	$89,886	22%
5	KentuckyState	1.16	$79,050	$89,322	15%
6	OhioState	1.16	$80,840	$89,425	16%
7	Columbus, OHMetro	1.16	$83,700	$89,519	19%
8	IndianaState	1.15	$80,100	$88,508	16%
9	MissouriState	1.13	$76,690	$86,558	16%
10	North CarolinaState	1.13	$81,960	$86,822	19%
11	GeorgiaState	1.12	$80,620	$86,317	21%
12	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.11	$83,100	$85,494	23%
13	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.11	$78,530	$85,359	20%
14	IdahoState	1.10	$81,590	$84,549	18%
15	TennesseeState	1.10	$77,180	$84,350	20%
16	TexasState	1.10	$80,620	$84,331	21%
17	IowaState	1.09	$74,470	$83,487	15%
18	South CarolinaState	1.08	$76,440	$83,087	20%
19	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.08	$75,870	$83,191	19%
20	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.08	$79,580	$82,723	23%
21	WisconsinState	1.07	$75,650	$81,961	17%
22	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.07	$78,900	$82,359	23%
23	MassachusettsState	1.05	$87,290	$80,452	31%
24	MichiganState	1.04	$73,860	$80,022	18%
25	MinnesotaState	1.03	$77,330	$78,908	20%
26	UtahState	1.03	$79,360	$79,202	23%
27	OklahomaState	1.02	$69,520	$78,554	17%
28	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.02	$78,170	$78,563	23%
29	OregonState	0.99	$78,170	$75,893	24%
30	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.99	$86,140	$75,894	36%
31	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.99	$70,720	$76,207	22%
32	ColoradoState	0.98	$79,300	$75,237	28%
33	MaineState	0.98	$75,100	$75,251	21%
34	PennsylvaniaState	0.98	$72,720	$74,969	21%
35	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.96	$84,090	$73,570	31%
36	ArizonaState	0.94	$73,080	$72,428	25%
37	FloridaState	0.94	$73,010	$71,931	28%
38	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.94	$78,170	$72,514	28%
39	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.94	$81,230	$72,012	29%
40	NevadaState	0.93	$71,310	$71,168	24%
41	New JerseyState	0.93	$77,600	$71,324	28%
42	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.93	$65,880	$71,222	21%
43	CaliforniaState	0.92	$78,310	$70,741	35%
44	IllinoisState	0.91	$68,310	$70,133	23%
45	LouisianaState	0.90	$62,550	$69,423	20%
46	MarylandState	0.90	$75,680	$69,304	27%
47	MississippiState	0.90	$58,780	$69,316	18%
48	New YorkState	0.90	$77,830	$69,182	28%
49	WyomingState	0.90	$64,690	$69,559	18%
50	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.90	$72,930	$68,932	28%
51	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.89	$70,940	$68,541	27%
52	KansasState	0.88	$60,730	$67,478	20%
53	WashingtonState	0.88	$72,250	$67,335	32%
54	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.88	$66,910	$67,929	31%
55	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.87	$77,630	$66,635	35%
56	NebraskaState	0.85	$59,570	$65,104	21%
57	DelawareState	0.82	$63,460	$62,832	26%
58	ConnecticutState	0.81	$66,980	$62,249	28%
59	VirginiaState	0.81	$64,650	$62,464	29%
60	HawaiiState	0.80	$68,050	$61,864	42%
61	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.78	$65,020	$59,926	38%
62	AlabamaState	0.77	$51,650	$59,300	22%
63	South DakotaState	0.73	$50,840	$55,991	23%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).