17 Series · SOC 17-3012
Electrical and Electronics Drafters Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $76,870
- Median / year
- +4.3%
- 2024→2025
- $120,290
- Top 10% earn
- -5.6%
- Growth '24–'34
- 17,920
- Estimated US jobs
Electrical and Electronics Drafters earn a median of $76,870 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $76,870, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $50,040 (10th percentile) to $120,290 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 17,920 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is New Hampshire ($102,070).
The pay verdict
Electrical and Electronics Drafters earn a median of $76,870, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 69% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Architecture and Engineering, it ranks #25 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 5.6% by 2034.
- $76,870
- Median annual wage
- Top 31%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #25 of 36
- in Architecture and Engineering
- 2.4×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New Hampshire at $102,070. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Electrical and Electronics Drafters moved from $61,530 in May 2019 to $76,870 in May 2025 (+24.9%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters sits +0.5 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Electrical and Electronics Drafters (SOC 17-3012) has a national median of $76,870 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $50,040 to $120,290, and the published mean is $81,280. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 17,920 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 44 state or territory areas and 98 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $73,720 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $76,870 in May 2025, a rise of $3,150 (+4.3%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -5.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 1,700 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Architecture and Engineering Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New Hampshire pays the highest state median at $102,070, which is +33% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $115,530. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$76,870
per year
Median Hourly
$36.96/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$81,280
average
Employment
17,920
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$76,870 Top 31% higher than 69% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 (this entry) | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$76,870 · 69th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 17-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Electrical and Electronics Drafters; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Civil Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $100840
- Industrial Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11%, Median annual wage $102440
- Mechanical Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 9.1%, Median annual wage $104110
- Electrical Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.2%, Median annual wage $120630
- Engineers, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.1%, Median annual wage $122930
- Architects, Except L…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $99280
- Architectural and Ci…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $66150
- Electronics Engineer…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.2%, Median annual wage $130220
- Electrical and Elect…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $78190
- Computer Hardware En…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.3%, Median annual wage $161740
- Industrial Engineeri…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $66120
- Civil Engineering Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.1%, Median annual wage $64950
- Aerospace Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.1%, Median annual wage $134960
- Engineering Technolo…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.5%, Median annual wage $78350
- Surveying and Mappin…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $54240
- Surveyors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $75440
- Mechanical Drafters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6.5%, Median annual wage $71550
- Environmental Engine…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $107110
- Bioengineers and Bio…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.2%, Median annual wage $109370
- Materials Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.7%, Median annual wage $112860
- Health and Safety En…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $115160
- Chemical Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.6%, Median annual wage $125040
- Landscape Architects: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $79870
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -5.6%, Median annual wage $76870
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-5.6%
Declining
Annual Openings
1,700
per year (projected)
Employment Change
-1,200
21,600 (2024) → 20,400 (2034)
Typical Education
Associate's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Architecture and Engineering Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
2/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Electrical and Electronics Drafters roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Draft detail and assembly drawings of design components, circuitry or printed circuit boards, using computer-assisted equipment or standard drafting techniques and devices.
- ▸ Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications, or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
- ▸ Assemble documentation packages and produce drawing sets to be checked by an engineer or an architect.
- ▸ Review completed construction drawings and cost estimates for accuracy and conformity to standards and regulations.
- ▸ Consult with engineers to discuss or interpret design concepts, or determine requirements of detailed working drawings.
- ▸ Confer with engineering staff and other personnel to resolve problems.
- ▸ Measure factors that affect installation and arrangement of equipment, such as distances to be spanned by wire and cable.
- ▸ Design electrical systems, such as lighting systems.
- ▸ Draw master sketches to scale showing relation of proposed installations to existing facilities and exact specifications and dimensions.
- ▸ Review work orders or procedural manuals and confer with vendors or design staff to resolve problems or modify design.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $59,520 |
| 2016 | $59,970 |
| 2017 | $59,690 |
| 2018 | $60,070 |
| 2019 | $61,530 |
| 2020 | $62,100 |
| 2021 | $61,510 |
| 2022 | $64,240 |
| 2023 | $69,260 |
| 2024 | $73,720 |
| 2025 | $76,870 |
2015 median
$59,520
2025 median
$76,870
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$15,340 (+24.9%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+3.8%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $59,520 | First banked release | 29,200 |
| May 2016 | $59,970 | +0.8% | 26,750 |
| May 2017 | $59,690 | -0.5% | 26,060 |
| May 2018 | $60,070 | +0.6% | 24,900 |
| May 2019 | $61,530 | Classification break | 24,140 |
| May 2020 | $62,100 | +0.9% | 23,020 |
| May 2021 | $61,510 | -1.0% | 20,830 |
| May 2022 | $64,240 | +4.4% | 20,930 |
| May 2023 | $69,260 | +7.8% | 20,680 |
| May 2024 | $73,720 | +6.4% | 20,020 |
| May 2025 | $76,870 | +4.3% | 17,920 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $59,520 in May 2015 to $76,870 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.8% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 24,140 in May 2019 to 17,920 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 44 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $102,070 | +33% above national |
| 2 | New Mexico | $101,330 | +32% above national |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $87,290 | +14% above national |
| 4 | North Carolina | $81,960 | +7% above national |
| 5 | Idaho | $81,590 | +6% above national |
| 6 | Ohio | $80,840 | +5% above national |
| 7 | Georgia | $80,620 | +5% above national |
| 8 | Texas | $80,620 | +5% above national |
| 9 | Indiana | $80,100 | +4% above national |
| 10 | Utah | $79,360 | +3% above national |
| 11 | Colorado | $79,300 | +3% above national |
| 12 | Kentucky | $79,050 | +3% above national |
| 13 | California | $78,310 | +2% above national |
| 14 | Oregon | $78,170 | +2% above national |
| 15 | New York | $77,830 | +1% above national |
| 16 | New Jersey | $77,600 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Minnesota | $77,330 | +1% above national |
| 18 | Tennessee | $77,180 | same as national |
| 19 | Missouri | $76,690 | same as national |
| 20 | South Carolina | $76,440 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Maryland | $75,680 | 2% below national |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $75,650 | 2% below national |
| 23 | Maine | $75,100 | 2% below national |
| 24 | Iowa | $74,470 | 3% below national |
| 25 | Michigan | $73,860 | 4% below national |
| 26 | Arizona | $73,080 | 5% below national |
| 27 | Florida | $73,010 | 5% below national |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $72,720 | 5% below national |
| 29 | Washington | $72,250 | 6% below national |
| 30 | Nevada | $71,310 | 7% below national |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $69,520 | 10% below national |
| 32 | Illinois | $68,310 | 11% below national |
| 33 | Hawaii | $68,050 | 11% below national |
| 34 | Connecticut | $66,980 | 13% below national |
| 35 | Wyoming | $64,690 | 16% below national |
| 36 | Virginia | $64,650 | 16% below national |
| 37 | Delaware | $63,460 | 17% below national |
| 38 | Louisiana | $62,550 | 19% below national |
| 39 | Kansas | $60,730 | 21% below national |
| 40 | Nebraska | $59,570 | 23% below national |
| 41 | Mississippi | $58,780 | 24% below national |
| 42 | Puerto Rico | $56,480 | 27% below national |
| 43 | Alabama | $51,650 | 33% below national |
| 44 | South Dakota | $50,840 | 34% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 94 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $115,530 | +50% above national |
| 2 | Boulder, CO | $103,910 | +35% above national |
| 3 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $102,810 | +34% above national |
| 4 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $100,420 | +31% above national |
| 5 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $100,090 | +30% above national |
| 6 | Anchorage, AK | $98,920 | +29% above national |
| 7 | Worcester, MA | $98,610 | +28% above national |
| 8 | Boise City, ID | $97,550 | +27% above national |
| 9 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $90,360 | +18% above national |
| 10 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $87,010 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $86,140 | +12% above national |
| 12 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $84,680 | +10% above national |
| 13 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $84,680 | +10% above national |
| 14 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $84,090 | +9% above national |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $83,700 | +9% above national |
| 16 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $83,100 | +8% above national |
| 17 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $82,400 | +7% above national |
| 18 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $82,320 | +7% above national |
| 19 | Tucson, AZ | $81,970 | +7% above national |
| 20 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $81,960 | +7% above national |
| 21 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $81,230 | +6% above national |
| 22 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $80,100 | +4% above national |
| 23 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $79,990 | +4% above national |
| 24 | Rochester, NY | $79,910 | +4% above national |
| 25 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $79,830 | +4% above national |
| 26 | Fargo, ND-MN | $79,710 | +4% above national |
| 27 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $79,580 | +4% above national |
| 28 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $79,530 | +3% above national |
| 29 | Madison, WI | $79,220 | +3% above national |
| 30 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $79,160 | +3% above national |
| 31 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $78,900 | +3% above national |
| 32 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $78,530 | +2% above national |
| 33 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $78,450 | +2% above national |
| 34 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $78,350 | +2% above national |
| 35 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $78,170 | +2% above national |
| 36 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $78,170 | +2% above national |
| 37 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $77,830 | +1% above national |
| 38 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $77,810 | +1% above national |
| 39 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,630 | +1% above national |
| 40 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $77,150 | same as national |
| 41 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $77,120 | same as national |
| 42 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $77,100 | same as national |
| 43 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $76,950 | same as national |
| 44 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $76,610 | same as national |
| 45 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $76,580 | same as national |
| 46 | Oklahoma City, OK | $76,560 | same as national |
| 47 | Colorado Springs, CO | $76,380 | 1% below national |
| 48 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $75,960 | 1% below national |
| 49 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $75,940 | 1% below national |
| 50 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $75,870 | 1% below national |
| 51 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $75,870 | 1% below national |
| 52 | Jacksonville, FL | $75,780 | 1% below national |
| 53 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $75,030 | 2% below national |
| 54 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $75,000 | 2% below national |
| 55 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $74,880 | 3% below national |
| 56 | Syracuse, NY | $74,720 | 3% below national |
| 57 | Green Bay, WI | $74,690 | 3% below national |
| 58 | Columbia, SC | $74,590 | 3% below national |
| 59 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $74,520 | 3% below national |
| 60 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $74,470 | 3% below national |
| 61 | Knoxville, TN | $74,390 | 3% below national |
| 62 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $74,000 | 4% below national |
| 63 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $73,530 | 4% below national |
| 64 | Springfield, MO | $73,360 | 5% below national |
| 65 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $72,930 | 5% below national |
| 66 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $72,720 | 5% below national |
| 67 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $70,940 | 8% below national |
| 68 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $70,880 | 8% below national |
| 69 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $70,720 | 8% below national |
| 70 | Tulsa, OK | $70,590 | 8% below national |
| 71 | Visalia, CA | $70,400 | 8% below national |
| 72 | Joplin, MO-KS | $70,010 | 9% below national |
| 73 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $69,500 | 10% below national |
| 74 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $68,710 | 11% below national |
| 75 | Fresno, CA | $68,640 | 11% below national |
| 76 | Reno, NV | $68,480 | 11% below national |
| 77 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $67,670 | 12% below national |
| 78 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $67,100 | 13% below national |
| 79 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $66,910 | 13% below national |
| 80 | Pittsburgh, PA | $65,880 | 14% below national |
| 81 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $65,020 | 15% below national |
| 82 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $64,930 | 16% below national |
| 83 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $64,030 | 17% below national |
| 84 | Baton Rouge, LA | $63,020 | 18% below national |
| 85 | Cleveland, OH | $62,710 | 18% below national |
| 86 | Richmond, VA | $62,100 | 19% below national |
| 87 | New Haven, CT | $61,690 | 20% below national |
| 88 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $58,230 | 24% below national |
| 89 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $57,860 | 25% below national |
| 90 | Wichita, KS | $57,650 | 25% below national |
| 91 | Omaha, NE-IA | $56,180 | 27% below national |
| 92 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $55,110 | 28% below national |
| 93 | Birmingham, AL | $53,490 | 30% below national |
| 94 | Huntsville, AL | $53,070 | 31% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 17 (Architecture and Engineering Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
SOC 17-3021
Aerospace Engineers
SOC 17-2011
Agricultural Engineers
SOC 17-2021
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
SOC 17-1011
Architectural and Civil Drafters
SOC 17-3011
Showing 5 of 35 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Architecture and Engineering Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($76,870 here) and reported employment (17,920 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Electrical and Electronics Drafters make? ▼
Where does Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Electrical and Electronics Drafters the most? ▼
What education do Electrical and Electronics Drafters need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Electrical and Electronics Drafters? ▼
Is Electrical and Electronics Drafters a good career? ▼
How does Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Electrical and Electronics Drafters? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Electrical and Electronics Drafters pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $96,730/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New Hampshire leads at $102,070/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.