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Draftsman salary
Average draftsman salary
$42,908
Understanding Draftsman Salaries
A draftsman typically earns $42,908 annually, translating to around $21 per hour. However, salaries can differ widely based on factors like location, experience, and the industry of employment. In states like California and New York, draftsmen often see higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living.
Factors Influencing Salary
- Experience: Entry-level draftsmen may start at a lower rate, while those with several years in the field can command significantly higher salaries.
- Industry: Fields such as engineering and architecture typically offer more competitive pay compared to other sectors.
- Location: Urban areas often provide better salary prospects than rural locations.
For those pursuing a career in drafting, understanding these dynamics is crucial. By continuously improving skills and seeking opportunities in higher-paying industries or locations, draftsmen can enhance their earning potential.
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Where can a Draftsman earn more?
Draftsman salary estimates from across the web
Average draftsman salary by state
The highest-paying states for draftsmen are California, New York, and West Virginia. The lowest average draftsman salary states are Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Alabama.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for draftsmen
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $45,869 | $22.05 |
| 2 | California | $53,939 | $25.93 |
| 3 | Michigan | $46,615 | $22.41 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $43,729 | $21.02 |
| 5 | New York | $51,330 | $24.68 |
| 6 | Delaware | $46,961 | $22.58 |
| 7 | Arkansas | $46,302 | $22.26 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $43,678 | $21.00 |
| 9 | Ohio | $47,556 | $22.86 |
| 10 | West Virginia | $48,359 | $23.25 |
| 11 | Iowa | $40,714 | $19.57 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $46,056 | $22.14 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $45,421 | $21.84 |
| 14 | Nevada | $41,040 | $19.73 |
| 15 | Montana | $41,936 | $20.16 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $41,248 | $19.83 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $43,498 | $20.91 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $42,531 | $20.45 |
| 19 | Utah | $40,115 | $19.29 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $43,761 | $21.04 |
| 21 | Washington | $42,432 | $20.40 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $43,011 | $20.68 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $43,225 | $20.78 |
| 24 | Illinois | $42,632 | $20.50 |
| 25 | Kansas | $39,354 | $18.92 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $46,262 | $22.24 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $42,274 | $20.32 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $44,004 | $21.16 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $41,615 | $20.01 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $39,800 | $19.13 |
| 31 | Maryland | $41,430 | $19.92 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $37,092 | $17.83 |
| 33 | Indiana | $38,654 | $18.58 |
| 34 | Colorado | $40,473 | $19.46 |
| 35 | Missouri | $39,705 | $19.09 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $39,950 | $19.21 |
| 37 | Vermont | $41,230 | $19.82 |
| 38 | Alaska | $42,672 | $20.52 |
| 39 | Oregon | $37,641 | $18.10 |
| 40 | Florida | $37,343 | $17.95 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $36,834 | $17.71 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $39,342 | $18.91 |
| 43 | Texas | $38,649 | $18.58 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $37,906 | $18.22 |
| 45 | Virginia | $38,053 | $18.29 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $36,280 | $17.44 |
| 47 | Georgia | $34,531 | $16.60 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $38,834 | $18.67 |
| 49 | Alabama | $35,571 | $17.10 |
| 50 | Maine | $33,724 | $16.21 |
| 51 | Idaho | $35,062 | $16.86 |
Highest paying cities for draftsmen
The highest-paying cities for draftsmen are Alameda, CA, Columbus, OH, and Hot Springs, AR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alameda, CA | $55,186 | $26.53 |
| 2 | Columbus, OH | $47,230 | $22.71 |
| 3 | Hot Springs, AR | $46,298 | $22.26 |
| 4 | Goodyear, AZ | $45,963 | $22.10 |
| 5 | Springfield, MA | $44,392 | $21.34 |
| 6 | Tulsa, OK | $43,239 | $20.79 |
| 7 | Northbrook, IL | $42,972 | $20.66 |
| 8 | New Orleans, LA | $42,179 | $20.28 |
| 9 | Cedar City, UT | $41,715 | $20.06 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $41,615 | $20.01 |
| 11 | Reno, NV | $41,364 | $19.89 |
| 12 | Arvada, CO | $40,430 | $19.44 |
| 13 | Nashua, NH | $39,565 | $19.02 |
| 14 | Joplin, MO | $39,463 | $18.97 |
| 15 | Midland, TX | $39,259 | $18.87 |
| 16 | Alexandria, VA | $39,215 | $18.85 |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC | $38,544 | $18.53 |
| 18 | Lafayette, IN | $38,539 | $18.53 |
| 19 | Delray Beach, FL | $37,418 | $17.99 |
| 20 | Jackson, TN | $36,100 | $17.36 |
Draftsman salary details
A draftsman's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $59,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a draftsman's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 75th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| Average | $42,908 | $3,576 | $21 |
| 25th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying draftsman jobs
The highest paying types of draftsmen are tool design checker, design checker, and die designer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Aided Design Designer | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 92,503 |
| Design Checker | $75,126 | $6,260 | $36.12 | 42,876 |
| Mechanical Design Drafter | $58,371 | $4,864 | $28.06 | 54,189 |
| Design Technician | $62,288 | $5,191 | $29.95 | 48,394 |
| Detailer/Designer | $64,845 | $5,404 | $31.18 | 51,517 |
| Computer Aided Drafter | $43,520 | $3,627 | $20.92 | 16,907 |
Top companies hiring draftsmen now:
Which companies pay draftsmen the most?
Draftsman salaries at NV Energy and Contract Lumber are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average draftsman salary at companies like GPAC and Lincoln Electric are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NV Energy | $50,937 | $24.49 |
| 2 | Contract Lumber | $49,609 | $23.85 |
| 3 | GPAC | $49,105 | $23.61 |
| 4 | Lincoln Electric | $46,648 | $22.43 |
| 5 | Traylor Bros | $45,628 | $21.94 |
| 6 | Rain the Growth Agency | $44,862 | $21.57 |
| 7 | USA Vein Clinics | $44,664 | $21.47 |
| 8 | Summit Industrial | $43,780 | $21.05 |
| 9 | Cherokee Nation Businesses | $43,767 | $21.04 |
| 10 | BENNETT & BUTLER, INC. | $41,510 | $19.96 |
| 11 | Thompson Steel Co Inc | $41,406 | $19.91 |
| 12 | SNI Financial | $41,394 | $19.90 |
| 13 | Leidos | $41,349 | $19.88 |
| 14 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $41,125 | $19.77 |
| 15 | IMI plc | $41,079 | $19.75 |
| 16 | S & B Engineers and Constructors | $41,046 | $19.73 |
| 17 | Kelly Services | $40,828 | $19.63 |
| 18 | Cliffs | $40,709 | $19.57 |
| 19 | Microdesk | $40,430 | $19.44 |
| 20 | ALTIVIA | $40,172 | $19.31 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Draftsman salary by industry
The average draftsman salary varies across industries:
- The average draftsman salary in the finance industry is $52,988, the highest of any industry.
- The average draftsman salary in the finance industry is $46,684.
- Draftsmen in the retail industry earn an average salary of $38,369, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for draftsmen
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $52,988 | $25.48 |
| 2 | Energy | $46,684 | $22.44 |
| 3 | Technology | $45,852 | $22.04 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $43,430 | $20.88 |
| 5 | Construction | $43,220 | $20.78 |
| 6 | Professional | $41,064 | $19.74 |
| 7 | Retail | $38,369 | $18.45 |
High paying draftsman jobs
Draftsman salary trends
The average draftsman salary has risen by $6,678 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average draftsman earned $36,230 annually, but today, they earn $42,908 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for draftsmen over the last decade.
Compare draftsman salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average draftsman salary over time
Compare draftsman salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Draftsman salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,900 | $20.63 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $42,000 | $20.20 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $41,200 | $19.80 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $40,600 | $19.52 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $40,100 | $19.29 | +1.8% |
Recently added draftsman salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power-Flo Technologies | Draftsman | New Hyde Park, NY | 06/27/2025 | $45,760 |
| Boulder Mills | Manufacturing Draftsman (On-Site) | Longmont, CO | 06/24/2025 | $52,175 |
| Maddox Industrial Transformer | Engineering Draftsman | Greer, SC | 06/21/2025 | $69,000 |
| International Paper | Capital Draftsman | Franklin, VA | 06/13/2025 | $62,600 |
| Atwork | Draftsman | Tyler, TX | 06/07/2025 | $33,392 |
| City of Dover, de | Electric Draftsman I | Dover, DE | 06/05/2025 | $74,798 |
| Highway Products | Solidworks Draftsman | White City, OR | 05/15/2025 | $55,000 |
| Barracuda Staffing | Draftsman | Tulsa, OK | 05/14/2025 | $52,175 |
| Tharp Cabinet Company | Manufacturing Draftsman | Loveland, CO | 05/09/2025 | $37,566 |
| Closets By Design | Draftsman | Bethel, CT | 04/28/2025 | $37,566 |
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