These Are The 10 States With The Highest Draftsperson Salaries For 2026

Top 10 States for Draftsperson Salaries in 2026

When it comes to job satisfaction, salary consistently ranks as a top priority for professionals across various demographics. If you’re wondering how much draftspeople earn in your area, you’ve come to the right place.

While individual salaries may vary based on experience, location, and industry, we can provide average salary data for draftspeople by state, including a breakdown by seniority level. These averages can help you gauge what to expect in your salary negotiations.

To gain a clearer picture of how salaries for draftspeople differ across the United States, we analyzed the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on average pay by state.

Additionally, we took into account the cost of living in each state, as a salary in North Carolina stretches further than it would in California.

The state offering the highest adjusted salary for draftspeople is Texas, home to a thriving architectural and engineering sector.

Here’s a quick overview of the top ten states for draftsperson salaries in 2026:

Let’s delve deeper into the methodology behind these salaries and explore the complete ranking of all states.

If you’re interested in further resources, check out the following articles:

How We Determined Pay By State

As previously mentioned, we utilized the latest average annual salary data for draftspeople from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, specifically their ‘Occupational Employment Statistics’.

To ensure a fair comparison across states, we considered the cost of living in each location. We created an index by dividing the average wage for each state by the cost of living relative to the national average. For example, if California has a cost of living index of 135.9 and an average pay of $59,610, our index value would be:

$59,610 * (100 / 135.9) = $43,863

We ranked each state based on this adjusted salary index, identifying the state with the highest ranking as offering the best average salary for draftspeople.

Here is a detailed ranking of draftsperson salaries by state.

For additional reading, check out:

Detailed List Of Draftsperson Salaries By State

Rank	State	Adjusted Salary	Average Wage	Cost Of Living
1	Texas	$64,410	$58,420	90.7
2	Louisiana	$62,236	$59,000	94.8
3	Tennessee	$60,984	$54,520	89.4
4	Illinois	$59,133	$55,940	94.6
5	Georgia	$58,096	$53,100	91.4
6	Oklahoma	$57,197	$51,020	89.2
7	Indiana	$56,871	$50,900	89.5
8	Arizona	$56,724	$55,590	98.0
9	Alabama	$55,581	$50,690	91.2
10	Iowa	$55,439	$50,450	91.0
11	Mississippi	$55,389	$47,580	85.9
12	Utah	$55,053	$51,200	93.0
13	Wyoming	$54,825	$50,330	91.8
14	Missouri	$54,303	$49,090	90.4
15	Washington	$53,726	$56,520	105.2
16	West Virginia	$53,618	$50,080	93.4
17	North Carolina	$53,567	$50,300	93.9
18	Delaware	$53,530	$54,280	101.4
19	Ohio	$53,358	$50,050	93.8
20	Arkansas	$53,283	$46,410	87.1
21	Michigan	$52,797	$46,990	89.0
22	Pennsylvania	$52,554	$53,290	101.4
23	Minnesota	$52,490	$52,910	100.8
24	Colorado	$52,418	$54,410	103.8
25	Kansas	$52,113	$46,850	89.9
26	New Mexico	$51,927	$50,110	96.5
27	Idaho	$51,661	$47,580	92.1
28	Kentucky	$50,972	$46,130	90.5
29	South Carolina	$50,907	$50,500	99.2
30	Nebraska	$50,753	$46,490	91.6
31	Virginia	$50,734	$51,140	100.8
32	Florida	$50,295	$49,440	98.3
33	North Dakota	$48,943	$48,650	99.4
34	Nevada	$48,906	$50,520	103.3
35	Wisconsin	$48,750	$47,190	96.8
36	Connecticut	$48,081	$61,400	127.7
37	Maryland	$47,872	$60,080	125.5
38	Rhode Island	$46,752	$56,430	120.7
39	Alaska	$46,720	$61,250	131.1
40	Montana	$45,892	$46,260	100.8
41	New Hampshire	$44,726	$52,330	117.0
42	Oregon	$44,636	$51,600	115.6
43	New Jersey	$44,511	$54,260	121.9
44	Maine	$44,178	$48,950	110.8
45	California	$43,863	$59,610	135.9
46	Massachusetts	$43,838	$58,480	133.4
47	New York	$43,206	$56,600	131.0
48	Vermont	$38,786	$46,970	121.1
49	South Dakota	$37,955	$39,360	103.7
50	Hawaii	$31,262	$52,490	167.9

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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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