These Are The 10 States With The Highest Computer Aided Design Designer Salaries For 2026

Top 10 States for Computer Aided Design Designer Salaries in 2026

In today’s job market, salary remains a top priority for job seekers, especially for Computer Aided Design (CAD) designers. Understanding how much CAD designers earn in different states is crucial for making informed career decisions.

While individual salaries can vary based on factors such as experience and location, we have compiled comprehensive data on average salaries for CAD designers across the United States, categorized by state and seniority level. This information provides a valuable benchmark for what you might expect to earn based on where you live.

To analyze how salaries differ across the country, we utilized the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding the average pay for CAD designers by state. Additionally, we adjusted these salaries based on the cost of living in each state, recognizing that a salary in North Carolina has a different purchasing power compared to a salary in California.

The state that offers the highest adjusted salary for CAD designers, considering the cost of living, is Texas.

Hereâ€™s a quick overview of the top ten states for CAD designer salaries:

Let’s delve deeper into how we compiled these rankings and provide a comprehensive list of salaries for CAD designers across all states.

If you’re looking for more insights into the job market, check out the following articles:

How We Determined Salaries by State

To establish a fair comparison of CAD designer salaries across the states, we relied on the most recent annual salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, specifically their ‘Occupational Employment Statistics’ report.

To ensure an apples-to-apples comparison, we factored in the cost of living in each state. We created an index by dividing the average salary for a state by the cost of living relative to the national average. For instance, if California has a cost of living index of 135.9 and an average salary of $136,630, our adjusted salary would be calculated as follows:

$136,630 * (100 / 135.9) = $100,537

We ranked all states based on this adjusted salary index, with the highest-ranked state offering the best average salary for CAD designers.

Below is the full ranking of CAD designer salaries by state.

For further reading, explore the following articles:

Detailed List of Computer Aided Design Designer Salaries by State

Rank	State	Adjusted Salary	Average Wage	Cost Of Living
1	Texas	$123,583	$112,090	90.7
2	Alabama	$120,668	$110,050	91.2
3	Virginia	$120,367	$121,330	100.8
4	Oklahoma	$116,771	$104,160	89.2
5	Iowa	$115,956	$105,520	91.0
6	Utah	$112,720	$104,830	93.0
7	Idaho	$112,660	$103,760	92.1
8	Colorado	$111,512	$115,750	103.8
9	Missouri	$110,331	$99,740	90.4
10	North Carolina	$109,840	$103,140	93.9
11	Mississippi	$109,732	$94,260	85.9
12	Minnesota	$108,253	$109,120	100.8
13	Arizona	$105,367	$103,260	98.0
14	Washington	$103,174	$108,540	105.2
15	Kansas	$102,847	$92,460	89.9
16	Tennessee	$101,778	$90,990	89.4
17	Illinois	$100,708	$95,270	94.6
18	California	$100,537	$136,630	135.9
19	West Virginia	$97,665	$91,220	93.4
20	Georgia	$97,505	$89,120	91.4
21	Ohio	$96,492	$90,510	93.8
22	Maryland	$94,334	$118,390	125.5
23	Florida	$93,530	$91,940	98.3
24	Louisiana	$93,206	$88,360	94.8
25	Pennsylvania	$93,175	$94,480	101.4
26	Indiana	$93,128	$83,350	89.5
27	South Carolina	$93,084	$92,340	99.2
28	Nebraska	$89,432	$81,920	91.6
29	Nevada	$87,405	$90,290	103.3
30	Vermont	$85,210	$103,190	121.1
31	New Jersey	$84,766	$103,330	121.9
32	Massachusetts	$83,748	$111,720	133.4
33	New York	$83,465	$109,340	131.0
34	Arkansas	$80,746	$70,330	87.1
35	Wisconsin	$79,907	$77,350	96.8
36	Connecticut	$79,710	$101,790	127.7
37	Rhode Island	$78,342	$94,560	120.7
38	Hawaii	$49,303	$82,780	167.9

Understanding the landscape of CAD designer salaries across different states is essential for career planning. With this knowledge, you can make informed decisions about where to take your skills and talent in this ever-evolving field.

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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