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What does a Architectural and Civil Drafters salary really buy you in Minnesota?
Minnesota is 2.3% cheaper than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Minnesota's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 97.7, meaning prices are 2.3% lower the national average. A Architectural and Civil Drafters earning $70,680 in Minnesota has the equivalent purchasing power of $72,343 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Minnesota's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $52,000 | $53,224 | +$1,224 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $61,450 | $62,896 | +$1,446 |
| Median (P50) | $70,680 | $72,343 | +$1,663 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $80,780 | $82,681 | +$1,901 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $98,110 | $100,419 | +$2,309 |
Minnesota's cost of living is close to the national average, so $70,680 keeps most of its value at $72,343 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 97.7, Minnesota 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 Minnesota's cost of living, $70,680 nominal nets out to $72,344 in real purchasing power — a small 2.4% 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, Minnesota places #10 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.
Minnesota ranks #10 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 Minnesota after taxes →
A Architectural and Civil Drafters in Minnesota earns a median salary of $70,680 per year. After adjusting for Minnesota's cost of living (RPP=97.7), the real purchasing power is $72,343 — a +2.4% difference.
Minnesota's cost of living is 2.3% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Minnesota is 97.7 (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 Minnesota: $70,680 x (100 / 97.7) = $72,343. 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 Minnesota enjoys 2.4% 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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