Best states for a drafting technician

Q: What is the best state for drafting technicians?

The best state to be a drafting technician is New York based on drafting technician salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for drafting technicians?

The highest paying state for drafting technicians is Tennessee based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for drafting technicians?

The worst state for drafting technicians is Montana, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Drafting technician opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for drafting technicians, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for drafting technicians.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of drafting technicians in America is $65,000.

We figured that the best places for drafting technician jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.New York is the best state, and Long Branch is the city with the highest pay for drafting technicians.

10 best states for drafting technicians in 2026

1. New York
Total drafting technician jobs: 957
Average annual salary: $59,749
Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
1.14
Drafting technician jobs in New York
2. Vermont
Total drafting technician jobs: 69
Average annual salary: $53,377
Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000
Location Quotient:
1.37
Drafting technician jobs in Vermont
3. New Jersey
Total drafting technician jobs: 551
Average annual salary: $63,239
Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000
Location Quotient:
1.06
Drafting technician jobs in New Jersey
4. Alaska
Total drafting technician jobs: 103
Average annual salary: $53,416
Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $72,000
Location Quotient:
1.88
Drafting technician jobs in Alaska
5. Connecticut
Total drafting technician jobs: 258
Average annual salary: $54,501
Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000
Location Quotient:
1.19
Drafting technician jobs in Connecticut
6. Massachusetts
Total drafting technician jobs: 625
Average annual salary: $56,659
Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000
Location Quotient:
1.04
Drafting technician jobs in Massachusetts
7. Maine
Total drafting technician jobs: 176
Average annual salary: $44,224
Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Location Quotient:
2.02
Drafting technician jobs in Maine
8. Maryland
Total drafting technician jobs: 449
Average annual salary: $50,989
Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000
Location Quotient:
1.08
Drafting technician jobs in Maryland
9. West Virginia
Total drafting technician jobs: 116
Average annual salary: $44,278
Lowest 10 percent earn: $29,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Location Quotient:
1.16
Drafting technician jobs in West Virginia
10. Illinois
Total drafting technician jobs: 867
Average annual salary: $46,515
Lowest 10 percent earn: $32,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000
Location Quotient:
1.11
Drafting technician jobs in Illinois

Drafting technician jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a drafting technician

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a drafting technician

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	New York	$59,749	$38,000	19,849,399	957
2	Vermont	$53,377	$35,000	623,657	69
3	New Jersey	$63,239	$40,000	9,005,644	551
4	Alaska	$53,416	$39,000	739,795	103
5	Connecticut	$54,501	$35,000	3,588,184	258
6	Massachusetts	$56,659	$37,000	6,859,819	625
7	Maine	$44,224	$30,000	1,335,907	176
8	Maryland	$50,989	$33,000	6,052,177	449
9	West Virginia	$44,278	$29,000	1,815,857	116
10	Illinois	$46,515	$32,000	12,802,023	867
11	New Hampshire	$51,277	$34,000	1,342,795	110
12	Michigan	$46,339	$31,000	9,962,311	515
13	Washington	$55,785	$35,000	7,405,743	363
14	California	$59,172	$39,000	39,536,653	1,408
15	District of Columbia	$59,219	$38,000	693,972	62
16	Pennsylvania	$48,583	$31,000	12,805,537	613
17	Iowa	$41,895	$29,000	3,145,711	294
18	Utah	$43,181	$30,000	3,101,833	226
19	Oregon	$47,725	$31,000	4,142,776	236
20	Minnesota	$42,723	$30,000	5,576,606	486
21	North Carolina	$40,564	$28,000	10,273,419	781
22	North Dakota	$41,110	$29,000	755,393	66
23	Idaho	$47,385	$31,000	1,716,943	68
24	Ohio	$44,496	$30,000	11,658,609	557
25	Hawaii	$48,796	$38,000	1,427,538	54
26	Oklahoma	$42,414	$31,000	3,930,864	200
27	Mississippi	$40,688	$30,000	2,984,100	146
28	Delaware	$43,927	$28,000	961,939	83
29	Rhode Island	$42,888	$28,000	1,059,639	79
30	Wisconsin	$38,428	$26,000	5,795,483	417
31	Louisiana	$42,247	$30,000	4,684,333	176
32	Virginia	$40,822	$26,000	8,470,020	652
33	Alabama	$39,289	$29,000	4,874,747	275
34	Nevada	$38,272	$25,000	2,998,039	141
35	Arizona	$38,885	$27,000	7,016,270	382
36	Missouri	$35,247	$25,000	6,113,532	450
37	Colorado	$35,220	$26,000	5,607,154	445
38	Indiana	$36,857	$26,000	6,666,818	421
39	Kentucky	$35,070	$25,000	4,454,189	251
40	New Mexico	$37,120	$26,000	2,088,070	125
41	South Carolina	$31,202	$22,000	5,024,369	400
42	Tennessee	$31,054	$22,000	6,715,984	421
43	Arkansas	$34,778	$26,000	3,004,279	142
44	South Dakota	$35,895	$25,000	869,666	54
45	Florida	$31,744	$22,000	20,984,400	1,161
46	Nebraska	$31,170	$22,000	1,920,076	156
47	Kansas	$34,299	$25,000	2,913,123	179
48	Georgia	$32,274	$23,000	10,429,379	690
49	Wyoming	$34,012	$24,000	579,315	30
50	Texas	$32,267	$23,000	28,304,596	1,159
51	Montana	$31,495	$21,000	1,050,493	75

Highest paying states for drafting technicians

Rank	State	Avg. Drafting Technician Salary
1	New York	$59,749
2	Vermont	$53,377
3	New Jersey	$63,239
4	Alaska	$53,416
5	Connecticut	$54,501
6	Massachusetts	$56,659
7	Maine	$44,224
8	Maryland	$50,989
9	West Virginia	$44,278
10	Illinois	$46,515
11	New Hampshire	$51,277
12	Michigan	$46,339
13	Washington	$55,785
14	California	$59,172
15	District of Columbia	$59,219
16	Pennsylvania	$48,583
17	Iowa	$41,895
18	Utah	$43,181
19	Oregon	$47,725
20	Minnesota	$42,723
21	North Carolina	$40,564
22	North Dakota	$41,110
23	Idaho	$47,385
24	Ohio	$44,496
25	Hawaii	$48,796
26	Oklahoma	$42,414
27	Mississippi	$40,688
28	Delaware	$43,927
29	Rhode Island	$42,888
30	Wisconsin	$38,428
31	Louisiana	$42,247
32	Virginia	$40,822
33	Alabama	$39,289
34	Nevada	$38,272
35	Arizona	$38,885
36	Missouri	$35,247
37	Colorado	$35,220
38	Indiana	$36,857
39	Kentucky	$35,070
40	New Mexico	$37,120
41	South Carolina	$31,202
42	Tennessee	$31,054
43	Arkansas	$34,778
44	South Dakota	$35,895
45	Florida	$31,744
46	Nebraska	$31,170
47	Kansas	$34,299
48	Georgia	$32,274
49	Wyoming	$34,012
50	Texas	$32,267
51	Montana	$31,495

Drafting technician best states FAQs

What is the best state for drafting technicians?

What is the highest paying state for drafting technicians?

What is the worst state for drafting technicians?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for drafting technician jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total drafting technician jobs:	957
Average annual salary:	$59,749
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$38,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$92,000
Location Quotient:	1.14

Best states for a drafting technician

10 best states for drafting technicians in 2026

1. New York

2. Vermont

3. New Jersey

4. Alaska

5. Connecticut

6. Massachusetts

7. Maine

8. Maryland

9. West Virginia

10. Illinois