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What does a Architectural and Civil Drafters salary really buy you in Delaware?
Delaware is 2.0% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Delaware's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 98.0, meaning prices are 2.0% lower the national average. A Architectural and Civil Drafters earning $73,040 in Delaware has the equivalent purchasing power of $74,530 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Delaware's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $48,810 | $49,806 | +$996 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $58,530 | $59,724 | +$1,194 |
| Median (P50) | $73,040 | $74,530 | +$1,490 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $80,710 | $82,357 | +$1,647 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $88,020 | $89,816 | +$1,796 |
Delaware's cost of living is close to the national average, so $73,040 keeps most of its value at $74,530 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 98.0, Delaware is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Architectural and Civil Drafters is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Delaware's cost of living, $73,040 nominal nets out to $74,531 in real purchasing power — a small 2.0% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Architectural and Civil Drafters.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Architectural and Civil Drafters, Delaware places #5 of 50 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Architectural and Civil Drafters salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Delaware ranks #5 out of 50 states for Architectural and Civil Drafters after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Architectural and Civil Drafters take-home pay in Delaware after taxes →
A Architectural and Civil Drafters in Delaware earns a median salary of $73,040 per year. After adjusting for Delaware's cost of living (RPP=98.0), the real purchasing power is $74,530 — a +2.0% difference.
Delaware's cost of living is 2.0% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Delaware is 98.0 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Architectural and Civil Drafters in Delaware: $73,040 x (100 / 98.0) = $74,530. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
From a purchasing power perspective, yes. A Architectural and Civil Drafters in Delaware enjoys 2.0% more buying power than the nominal salary suggests, because living costs are below the national average. However, other factors like job availability, career growth, and quality of life also matter.
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