Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other in Virginia
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$73,163
after federal, FICA and Virginia tax
Tax takes
$25,247
25.7% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$72,620
Virginia costs more than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in Virginia — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$98,410
Kept after tax
$73,163
Worth in national money
$72,620
State rank
5
of 49 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- Virginia is one of the better-paying states for this job. The middle earner takes $98,410, which ranks 5 of 49 states with published figures. That is about 25.6% above the national middle.
- This is one of the better-paid jobs in Virginia. It ranks 87 out of 489 occupations the state publishes figures for, which puts it in the top quarter locally.
- Prices here sit close to the national average, so the adjustment changes little. From $98,410 the take-home is $73,163, which is worth about $72,620 in comparable money. Tax does most of the work here, not cost of living. The average is lower, $97,760, so pay clusters nearer the top than usual.
- Virginia ranks 5 of 49 states publishing a median for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other, at $98,410 — about 25.6% above the national median. A state's position on nominal pay is the figure wage tables report and the least informative of the three on this page, because it survives neither the tax adjustment nor the price adjustment intact for most occupations.
- Within Virginia, engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other ranks 87 of 489 occupations by median pay, placing it in the top quartile of the local distribution. This is the comparison a resident actually makes — against neighbors rather than against the same job elsewhere.
- Virginia's price level is near the national average, so price deflation is close to neutral for engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other on its $98,410 median: $73,163 retained after tax becomes $72,620 in national-average terms. Where the price adjustment is small, the tax stack is the dominant determinant of the real outcome. The mean of $97,760 falls below the median, a left skew that is uncommon in wage data.
Compare this career across states
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Pay band: Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $64,000 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $98,410 |
| Top tenth earn over | $131,810 |
| This salary | $98,410 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in Virginia | $73,163 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $78,061 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | +$7,711 |
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $91,448 |
|---|---|
| You could take a cut of | −$10,652 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 101 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Treat $98,410 as a midpoint for Virginia, not a promise. The tenth percentile is $64,000 and the ninetieth is $131,810 — a wide band, and where you land in it depends on far more than the state.
- In Virginia the take-home figure of $73,163, from $98,410, assumes one filer, no dependants, and nothing paid into a pension before tax. Each of those lowers the bill, so treat it as the plain case. City and school-district income taxes are not included either, and in a few states those are real money. It ranks 87 of 489 occupations here.
- One number stands for prices across all of Virginia, which is a simplification — big cities cost far more than small towns. Read $72,620, the adjusted value of that $98,410 median, as a way to compare states fairly, not as a quote for any particular place. The two datasets are also from different years. This job sits at 87 of 489 in the state.
- The Virginia median of $98,410 describes the midpoint of a distribution spanning $64,000 to $131,810. Because that spread is typically larger than the interstate spread, a state median is a weak predictor for any individual worker in this occupation.
- Take-home for Virginia is computed for a single filer taking the standard deduction with no dependants and no pre-tax contributions, giving $73,163 from $98,410. Each omitted item reduces taxable income, so the figure is a lower bound on retained pay for this household shape. Municipal and school-district income taxes are excluded, which understates the burden materially in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The occupation ranks 87 of 489 locally.
- Price deflation uses one statewide parity for Virginia, so $72,620 — the adjusted value of that $98,410 median — establishes comparability between states rather than accuracy within one. The wage and parity series are dated independently, each following its own publication cycle, and neither is projected forward. This occupation sits at 87 of 489 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
The range here is narrow. From $64,000 at the bottom tenth to $131,810 at the top, pay for this work clusters rather than spreads.
Does a bigger number here mean I am better off?
Not on its own. Prices in Virginia run above the national level, so the same dollars buy less here. Adjusted for that, this pay is worth $72,620 — the wage did not change, only what it covers.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Four deductions, stacked. The federal layer and the two payroll taxes apply wherever you work; Virginia then takes its own share, leaving $73,163.
Why is this job missing from some states?
The survey withholds small samples rather than publish an unreliable number. Pay appears for 49 states here, and a missing state means too few reports, not no jobs.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($64,000 to $131,810) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to Virginia rather than a national figure.
How does the state price level affect real compensation?
Virginia's regional price parity sits above the national average, so nominal wages overstate purchasing power. Deflating take-home by the state price level gives $72,620 in national-average terms. ⚠️ RPPs are an all-items index; housing parities vary far more widely than the headline figure.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $73,163 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and Virginia income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Why does this occupation lack published estimates in every state?
BLS suppresses estimates failing disclosure or reliability criteria. This occupation has published state-level estimates in 49 of the fifty-one jurisdictions. Suppression reflects sample size and confidentiality rules, and cannot be read as an absence of employment.