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Design drafter salary
Average design drafter salary
$50,021
Understanding the Design Drafter Salary
The average salary for a Design Drafter in the United States stands at $50,021 annually or about $24 per hour. Salary can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry of employment. For instance, drafters with several years of experience or those working in high-demand areas may command higher salaries.
Highest Paying States for Design Drafters
States like California, New York, and Texas typically offer the highest salaries for Design Drafters due to a concentration of industries requiring drafting expertise. Understanding the geographic salary landscape can help job seekers target regions where they can maximize their earning potential.
Key Industries for Design Drafters
Design Drafters find employment in various sectors, including architecture, manufacturing, and engineering. Industries such as aerospace and automotive often provide higher salaries, reflecting the specialized skills required in these fields. Job seekers should consider these industries when exploring career opportunities.
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Where can a Design Drafter earn more?
Design drafter salary estimates from across the web
Average design drafter salary by state
The average design drafter salary in California, New Mexico, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average design drafter salary states are Washington, Tennessee, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for design drafters
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $55,287 | $26.58 |
| 2 | Texas | $55,780 | $26.82 |
| 3 | California | $59,692 | $28.70 |
| 4 | Michigan | $52,298 | $25.14 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $55,107 | $26.49 |
| 6 | Vermont | $52,945 | $25.45 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $57,166 | $27.48 |
| 8 | New York | $57,028 | $27.42 |
| 9 | Minnesota | $51,562 | $24.79 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $55,992 | $26.92 |
| 11 | Ohio | $53,029 | $25.49 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $53,549 | $25.74 |
| 13 | Montana | $50,967 | $24.50 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $51,036 | $24.54 |
| 15 | Arizona | $48,867 | $23.49 |
| 16 | Alaska | $52,955 | $25.46 |
| 17 | Iowa | $48,640 | $23.38 |
| 18 | Colorado | $51,839 | $24.92 |
| 19 | Utah | $49,254 | $23.68 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $50,833 | $24.44 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $52,180 | $25.09 |
| 22 | South Carolina | $49,767 | $23.93 |
| 23 | Connecticut | $50,018 | $24.05 |
| 24 | Delaware | $50,682 | $24.37 |
| 25 | Oregon | $48,153 | $23.15 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $50,170 | $24.12 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $48,585 | $23.36 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $49,678 | $23.88 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $48,402 | $23.27 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $48,517 | $23.33 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $45,691 | $21.97 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $45,938 | $22.09 |
| 33 | Kansas | $47,958 | $23.06 |
| 34 | Missouri | $48,318 | $23.23 |
| 35 | Nevada | $48,484 | $23.31 |
| 36 | Illinois | $49,171 | $23.64 |
| 37 | Florida | $47,267 | $22.72 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $48,857 | $23.49 |
| 39 | Georgia | $44,962 | $21.62 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $47,352 | $22.77 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $46,036 | $22.13 |
| 42 | Washington | $44,351 | $21.32 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $48,439 | $23.29 |
| 44 | Alabama | $43,138 | $20.74 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $44,730 | $21.50 |
| 46 | Maine | $43,457 | $20.89 |
| 47 | Indiana | $44,575 | $21.43 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $43,757 | $21.04 |
| 49 | Idaho | $43,585 | $20.95 |
| 50 | Maryland | $44,610 | $21.45 |
| 51 | Virginia | $41,234 | $19.82 |
Highest paying cities for design drafters
The highest-paying cities for design drafters are Cupertino, CA, New York, NY, and West Memphis, AR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cupertino, CA | $62,330 | $29.97 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $57,144 | $27.47 |
| 3 | West Memphis, AR | $55,869 | $26.86 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | $55,857 | $26.85 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $55,082 | $26.48 |
| 6 | Tulsa, OK | $52,264 | $25.13 |
| 7 | Duluth, MN | $51,873 | $24.94 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $51,833 | $24.92 |
| 9 | Baton Rouge, LA | $50,231 | $24.15 |
| 10 | Greenville, SC | $50,038 | $24.06 |
| 11 | Rockford, IL | $49,192 | $23.65 |
| 12 | Glendale, AZ | $48,967 | $23.54 |
| 13 | Salem, OR | $48,282 | $23.21 |
| 14 | Orlando, FL | $47,413 | $22.79 |
| 15 | Raleigh, NC | $46,459 | $22.34 |
| 16 | De Pere, WI | $46,159 | $22.19 |
| 17 | Cheyenne, WY | $45,701 | $21.97 |
| 18 | Lawrenceville, GA | $45,106 | $21.69 |
| 19 | Vancouver, WA | $44,967 | $21.62 |
| 20 | Baltimore, MD | $44,739 | $21.51 |
Design drafter salary details
A design drafter's salary ranges from $37,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $67,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a design drafter's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
| 75th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
| Average | $50,021 | $4,168 | $24 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
Highest paying design drafter jobs
The highest paying types of design drafters are design engineer, mechanical design engineer, and design checker.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draftsman | $42,908 | $3,576 | $20.63 | 3,143 |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | $75,821 | $6,318 | $36.45 | 120,258 |
| Drafting Engineer | $50,871 | $4,239 | $24.46 | 8,823 |
| Computer Aided Design Designer | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 92,503 |
| Mechanical Designer | $62,541 | $5,212 | $30.07 | 65,748 |
| Design Technician | $62,288 | $5,191 | $29.95 | 48,394 |
Top companies hiring design drafters now:
Which companies pay design drafters the most?
Design drafter salaries at Apple and Amphenol are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average design drafter salary at companies like Jefferson Lab and Los Alamos National Laboratory are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $81,088 | $38.98 |
| 2 | Amphenol | $66,308 | $31.88 |
| 3 | Jefferson Lab | $64,319 | $30.92 |
| 4 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $64,082 | $30.81 |
| 5 | Astronics | $63,699 | $30.62 |
| 6 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $63,663 | $30.61 |
| 7 | AMETEK | $58,994 | $28.36 |
| 8 | Lam Research | $58,426 | $28.09 |
| 9 | Steffian Bradley Architects | $57,979 | $27.87 |
| 10 | Moog | $57,885 | $27.83 |
| 11 | Hubbell | $56,835 | $27.32 |
| 12 | Quest Global | $56,377 | $27.10 |
| 13 | Stantec | $56,169 | $27.00 |
| 14 | Parker Hannifin | $56,125 | $26.98 |
| 15 | ITW | $55,639 | $26.75 |
| 16 | Energy Transfer | $55,637 | $26.75 |
| 17 | GPAC | $55,076 | $26.48 |
| 18 | VIVA USA | $54,803 | $26.35 |
| 19 | Modine Manufacturing | $54,705 | $26.30 |
| 20 | Aerojet Rocketdyne | $54,698 | $26.30 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Design Drafter salary by industry
The average design drafter salary varies across industries:
- The average design drafter salary in the finance industry is $59,117, the highest of any industry.
- The average design drafter salary in the finance industry is $54,773.
- Design drafters in the professional industry earn an average salary of $51,537, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for design drafters
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $59,117 | $28.42 |
| 2 | Energy | $54,773 | $26.33 |
| 3 | Technology | $54,518 | $26.21 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $54,430 | $26.17 |
| 5 | Construction | $52,724 | $25.35 |
| 6 | Professional | $51,537 | $24.78 |
High paying design drafter jobs
Design drafter salary trends
The average design drafter salary has risen by $7,786 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average design drafter earned $42,235 annually, but today, they earn $50,021 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for design drafters over the last decade.
Compare design drafter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average design drafter salary over time
Compare design drafter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Design drafter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,000 | $24.05 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $49,000 | $23.55 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $48,000 | $23.08 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $47,300 | $22.75 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $46,800 | $22.48 | +1.8% |
Recently added design drafter salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDS Tech Commercial, Inc. | Civil/Structural Design Drafter | Tempe, AZ | 06/28/2025 | $85,567 |
| STS/Utiliquest | Drafter/Designer | Billerica, MA | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| Locating Inc. | Drafter/Designer | Billerica, MA | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
| Dycom Industries Inc. | Drafter/Designer | Billerica, MA | 06/26/2025 | $37,566 |
| Yellowstone Local | Designer Drafter | Salem, OR | 06/25/2025 | $56,349 |
| BME Fire Trucks | Designer/Drafter | Boise, ID | 06/25/2025 | $52,175 |
| Actalent | Drafter/Designer | Syracuse, NY | 06/25/2025 | $52,175 |
| Advastar | Design Drafter | Phoenix, AZ | 06/21/2025 | $50,000 |
| Parsons | Associate Cadd-Designer/Drafter | Saint Louis, MO | 06/20/2025 | $39,528 |
| Tharp Cabinet Company | Custom Cabinet Designer/Drafter | Boone, CO | 06/20/2025 | $52,175 |
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