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Best states for a draftsman/designer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and architecture and engineering careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to draftsman/designer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for draftsman/designers.As draftsman/designers are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for draftsman/designers. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as a draftsman/designer, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
We figured that the best places for draftsman/designer 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.District of Columbia is the best state, and Stafford is the city with the highest pay for draftsman/designers.
10 best states for draftsman/designers in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 189 Average annual salary: $66,092 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.97
2. California
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 2,551 Average annual salary: $64,169 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
3. Pennsylvania
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 596 Average annual salary: $58,820 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
4. New Jersey
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 343 Average annual salary: $68,589 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 0.76
5. Connecticut
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 158 Average annual salary: $61,584 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
6. New York
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 1,129 Average annual salary: $58,723 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
7. Oregon
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 409 Average annual salary: $55,178 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
8. Texas
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 1,100 Average annual salary: $56,212 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
9. Arizona
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 272 Average annual salary: $56,938 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
10. Rhode Island
Total draftsman/designer jobs: 61 Average annual salary: $56,227 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 0.88
Draftsman/designer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a draftsman/designer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a draftsman/designer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $66,092 | $38,000 | 693,972 | 189 |
| 2 | California | $64,169 | $36,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,551 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $58,820 | $34,000 | 12,805,537 | 596 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $68,589 | $40,000 | 9,005,644 | 343 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $61,584 | $36,000 | 3,588,184 | 158 |
| 6 | New York | $58,723 | $34,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,129 |
| 7 | Oregon | $55,178 | $33,000 | 4,142,776 | 409 |
| 8 | Texas | $56,212 | $31,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,100 |
| 9 | Arizona | $56,938 | $33,000 | 7,016,270 | 272 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $56,227 | $33,000 | 1,059,639 | 61 |
| 11 | Maryland | $58,942 | $34,000 | 6,052,177 | 340 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $53,018 | $33,000 | 5,576,606 | 384 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $54,031 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 495 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $58,175 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 39 |
| 15 | Illinois | $53,861 | $32,000 | 12,802,023 | 662 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $53,843 | $32,000 | 6,859,819 | 610 |
| 17 | Nevada | $54,706 | $31,000 | 2,998,039 | 80 |
| 18 | Ohio | $52,027 | $30,000 | 11,658,609 | 453 |
| 19 | Michigan | $49,493 | $29,000 | 9,962,311 | 437 |
| 20 | Washington | $51,696 | $32,000 | 7,405,743 | 719 |
| 21 | Delaware | $55,119 | $32,000 | 961,939 | 45 |
| 22 | Virginia | $52,961 | $30,000 | 8,470,020 | 632 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $52,997 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 122 |
| 24 | Colorado | $50,489 | $32,000 | 5,607,154 | 331 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $48,209 | $29,000 | 5,795,483 | 327 |
| 26 | Utah | $48,698 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 204 |
| 27 | Missouri | $50,482 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 225 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $48,289 | $28,000 | 6,715,984 | 224 |
| 29 | Kansas | $48,644 | $29,000 | 2,913,123 | 132 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $48,620 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 79 |
| 31 | Georgia | $45,052 | $25,000 | 10,429,379 | 771 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $48,319 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 32 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $47,990 | $31,000 | 869,666 | 34 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $47,369 | $28,000 | 3,930,864 | 117 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $47,571 | $28,000 | 1,342,795 | 85 |
| 36 | Vermont | $49,203 | $30,000 | 623,657 | 28 |
| 37 | Iowa | $46,723 | $29,000 | 3,145,711 | 139 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $56,494 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 20 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $44,878 | $25,000 | 5,024,369 | 173 |
| 40 | Indiana | $45,810 | $27,000 | 6,666,818 | 232 |
| 41 | Montana | $44,320 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 41 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $45,014 | $26,000 | 3,004,279 | 86 |
| 43 | Alabama | $43,389 | $24,000 | 4,874,747 | 162 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $44,439 | $27,000 | 1,920,076 | 82 |
| 45 | Florida | $41,585 | $22,000 | 20,984,400 | 659 |
| 46 | Alaska | $39,064 | $32,000 | 739,795 | 22 |
| 47 | Maine | $37,660 | $23,000 | 1,335,907 | 62 |
| 48 | Idaho | $42,746 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 60 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $43,352 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 92 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $42,286 | $27,000 | 579,315 | 17 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $41,305 | $23,000 | 2,984,100 | 56 |
Highest paying states for draftsman/designers
| Rank | State | Avg. Draftsman/Designer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $66,092 |
| 2 | California | $64,169 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $58,820 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $68,589 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $61,584 |
| 6 | New York | $58,723 |
| 7 | Oregon | $55,178 |
| 8 | Texas | $56,212 |
| 9 | Arizona | $56,938 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $56,227 |
| 11 | Maryland | $58,942 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $53,018 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $54,031 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $58,175 |
| 15 | Illinois | $53,861 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $53,843 |
| 17 | Nevada | $54,706 |
| 18 | Ohio | $52,027 |
| 19 | Michigan | $49,493 |
| 20 | Washington | $51,696 |
| 21 | Delaware | $55,119 |
| 22 | Virginia | $52,961 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $52,997 |
| 24 | Colorado | $50,489 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $48,209 |
| 26 | Utah | $48,698 |
| 27 | Missouri | $50,482 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $48,289 |
| 29 | Kansas | $48,644 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $48,620 |
| 31 | Georgia | $45,052 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $48,319 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $47,990 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $47,369 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $47,571 |
| 36 | Vermont | $49,203 |
| 37 | Iowa | $46,723 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $56,494 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $44,878 |
| 40 | Indiana | $45,810 |
| 41 | Montana | $44,320 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $45,014 |
| 43 | Alabama | $43,389 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $44,439 |
| 45 | Florida | $41,585 |
| 46 | Alaska | $39,064 |
| 47 | Maine | $37,660 |
| 48 | Idaho | $42,746 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $43,352 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $42,286 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $41,305 |
Draftsman/designer best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025