SOC 17-3012 · Columbia, SC metro

Electrical and Electronics Drafters Salary in Columbia, SC

The average salary for electrical and electronics drafters in Columbia, South Carolina is $73,630 a year ($35.40 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $74,590: half of the 40 people in this job in the Columbia, SC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($81,280).

$73,630average per year

$35.40 / hourMedian $74,590Take-home ≈ $58,062

  • $38K10th
  • $56K25th
  • $75KMedian
  • $86K75th
  • $103K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
-9%vs U.S. average
#2 of 3South Carolina metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay range in Columbia

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $103,090 or more. The middle half of electrical and electronics drafters in Columbia earn between $55,740 and $85,510.

  • $38K10th
  • $56K25th
  • $75KMedian
  • $86K75th
  • $103K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$73,630$6,136$35.40
Median$74,590$6,216$35.86
Entry level (25th percentile)$55,740$4,645$26.80
Experienced (75th percentile)$85,510$7,126$41.11

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay in Columbia vs. South Carolina and the U.S.

Electrical and electronics drafters in Columbia earn about the same as the South Carolina average ($74,920) and 9% less than the U.S. average ($81,280). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $76,870.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Columbia$73,630$74,590$37,640$103,09040
South Carolina$74,920$76,440$55,720$92,060290
United States$81,280$76,870$50,040$120,29017,920

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Electrical and Electronics Drafters salary after taxes in Columbia

On the average salary of $73,630, a single filer in Columbia takes home about $58,062 a year, or $4,839 a month and $2,233 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

South Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Columbia a good place for electrical and electronics drafters? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Columbia area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.7), so the average $73,630 buys what about $78,612 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Columbia ($46,430). A typical home costs $256,154, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $73,630 is worth in another city

Electrical and Electronics Drafters salary in other South Carolina cities

Columbia ranks 2nd of 3 South Carolina metro areas for this job; Charleston pays the most ($76,020).

All Electrical and Electronics Drafters salaries in South Carolina

Highest-paying cities for electrical and electronics drafters

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($124,170).

Electrical and Electronics Drafters salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Electrical and Electronics Drafters in Columbia, SC.

Electrical and Electronics Drafters salary in Columbia: questions

How much do electrical and electronics drafters make an hour in Columbia?

$35.40 an hour on average, and $35.86 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level electrical and electronics drafters salary in Columbia?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $55,740, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the electrical and electronics drafters take-home pay in Columbia?

About $58,062 a year ($4,839 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,630.

Do electrical and electronics drafters earn more in Columbia than elsewhere?

The average here is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($81,280).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3012; area Columbia, SC (17900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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