Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Design engineer/drafter salary
Average design engineer/drafter salary
$51,518
Average Design Engineer/Drafter Salary
The average salary for a Design Engineer/Drafter is approximately $51,518 annually or $25 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry specialization.
Salary by State and City
Design Engineers and Drafters often find higher salaries in states like California and New York, where the demand for skilled professionals is robust. Cities such as San Francisco and New York City also offer competitive pay, reflecting the higher cost of living and concentration of industries. Researching these factors can help you identify the best locations for your career.
Career Advancement Opportunities
With experience, you can explore higher-paying roles such as Senior Design Engineer or Project Manager. Specialized industries such as aerospace, automotive, and construction typically offer the highest salaries for Design Engineers and Drafters. Staying updated on industry trends can enhance your prospects and lead to lucrative opportunities.
Let Zippia find your next design engineer/drafter job
Let Zippia find your next design engineer/drafter job
Where can a Design Engineer/Drafter earn more?
Average design engineer/drafter salary by state
The highest-paying states for design engineers/drafter are California, Alaska, and West Virginia. The lowest average design engineer/drafter salary states are Wyoming, Idaho, and Virginia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for design engineers/drafter
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $58,410 | $28.08 |
| 2 | California | $63,070 | $30.32 |
| 3 | Michigan | $57,450 | $27.62 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $57,106 | $27.45 |
| 5 | Ohio | $58,399 | $28.08 |
| 6 | Delaware | $56,864 | $27.34 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $58,789 | $28.26 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $59,469 | $28.59 |
| 9 | Alaska | $60,346 | $29.01 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $57,535 | $27.66 |
| 11 | New York | $57,376 | $27.58 |
| 12 | Georgia | $53,763 | $25.85 |
| 13 | Montana | $54,798 | $26.35 |
| 14 | Oregon | $53,432 | $25.69 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $54,129 | $26.02 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $53,646 | $25.79 |
| 17 | Utah | $51,547 | $24.78 |
| 18 | South Dakota | $53,482 | $25.71 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $53,667 | $25.80 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $51,022 | $24.53 |
| 21 | Arizona | $50,784 | $24.42 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $53,346 | $25.65 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $56,258 | $27.05 |
| 24 | Iowa | $50,812 | $24.43 |
| 25 | Colorado | $52,936 | $25.45 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $52,770 | $25.37 |
| 27 | Vermont | $51,286 | $24.66 |
| 28 | Nevada | $51,911 | $24.96 |
| 29 | Illinois | $52,631 | $25.30 |
| 30 | Washington | $50,322 | $24.19 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $49,981 | $24.03 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $53,338 | $25.64 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $51,622 | $24.82 |
| 34 | Kansas | $48,941 | $23.53 |
| 35 | Texas | $48,706 | $23.42 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $49,184 | $23.65 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $49,791 | $23.94 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $48,877 | $23.50 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $47,078 | $22.63 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $56,555 | $27.19 |
| 41 | Missouri | $49,629 | $23.86 |
| 42 | Maryland | $50,349 | $24.21 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $48,879 | $23.50 |
| 44 | Florida | $48,927 | $23.52 |
| 45 | Indiana | $47,638 | $22.90 |
| 46 | Alabama | $44,831 | $21.55 |
| 47 | Idaho | $46,908 | $22.55 |
| 48 | Virginia | $46,784 | $22.49 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $47,204 | $22.69 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $45,475 | $21.86 |
| 51 | Maine | $41,330 | $19.87 |
Highest paying cities for design engineers/drafter
The highest-paying cities for design engineers/drafter are Middletown, NY, Cincinnati, OH, and Kennesaw, GA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middletown, NY | $56,581 | $27.20 |
| 2 | Cincinnati, OH | $55,529 | $26.70 |
| 3 | Kennesaw, GA | $53,962 | $25.94 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $53,520 | $25.73 |
| 5 | Denver, CO | $53,033 | $25.50 |
| 6 | Aurora, IL | $52,607 | $25.29 |
| 7 | Salt Lake City, UT | $51,487 | $24.75 |
| 8 | Indianapolis, IN | $47,315 | $22.75 |
| 9 | Roanoke, VA | $44,491 | $21.39 |
Design engineer/drafter salary details
A design engineer/drafter's salary ranges from $35,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $74,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a design engineer/drafter's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| Average | $51,518 | $4,293 | $25 |
| 25th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 10th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
Highest paying design engineer/drafter jobs
The highest paying types of design engineers/drafter are lead design engineer, senior design engineer, and product design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draftsman | $42,908 | $3,576 | $20.63 | 3,143 |
| Mechanical Designer | $62,541 | $5,212 | $30.07 | 65,748 |
| Detailer/Designer | $64,845 | $5,404 | $31.18 | 51,517 |
| Computer Aided Design Designer | $60,150 | $5,012 | $28.92 | 92,503 |
| Drafter | $43,542 | $3,629 | $20.93 | 3,968 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
Top companies hiring design engineers/drafter now:
Which companies pay design engineers/drafter the most?
Design engineer/drafter salaries at Parsons and Black & Veatch are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average design engineer/drafter salary at companies like Northrop Grumman and Patton's Inc. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons | $73,543 | $35.36 |
| 2 | Black & Veatch | $66,039 | $31.75 |
| 3 | Northrop Grumman | $58,028 | $27.90 |
| 4 | Patton's Inc. | $57,794 | $27.79 |
| 5 | ICONMA | $54,798 | $26.35 |
| 6 | Kiewit | $51,211 | $24.62 |
| 7 | Ethan Allen Workforce Solutions | $49,416 | $23.76 |
| 8 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $46,021 | $22.13 |
| 9 | CTG | $45,766 | $22.00 |
| 10 | Gustave A. Larson | $44,553 | $21.42 |
| 11 | Belcan | $42,887 | $20.62 |
| 12 | ITW | $42,117 | $20.25 |
| 13 | Quality Control Services Inc | $40,192 | $19.32 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Design Engineer/Drafter salary by industry
The average design engineer/drafter salary varies across industries:
- The average design engineer/drafter salary in the retail industry is $56,593, the highest of any industry.
- The average design engineer/drafter salary in the finance industry is $50,617.
- Design engineers/drafter in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $47,421, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for design engineers/drafter
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $56,593 | $27.21 |
| 2 | Technology | $50,617 | $24.34 |
| 3 | Construction | $50,513 | $24.29 |
| 4 | Professional | $50,211 | $24.14 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $47,421 | $22.80 |
High paying design engineer/drafter jobs
Design engineer/drafter salary trends
The average design engineer/drafter salary has risen by $8,019 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average design engineer/drafter earned $43,499 annually, but today, they earn $51,518 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for design engineers/drafter over the last decade.
Compare design engineer/drafter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average design engineer/drafter salary over time
Compare design engineer/drafter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Design engineer/drafter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,500 | $24.77 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $50,400 | $24.25 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $49,400 | $23.77 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $48,700 | $23.43 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $48,200 | $23.16 | +1.8% |
Recently added design engineer/drafter salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Toro Company | Design Engineer/Drafter-Ditch Witch | Perry, OK | 04/16/2025 | $42,411 |
| Israel Chemical Ltd. | Engineering Design/Drafter | Lawrence, KS | 02/18/2025 | $56,000 |
| Apollo Professional Solutions | Ut-Eng-3111-Drafting & Design Services-Exp | Rockford, IL | 02/13/2025 | $73,045 |
| ICL | Engineering Design/Drafter | Lawrence, KS | 01/31/2025 | $56,000 |
| Israel Chemicals Ltd. | Engineering Design/Drafter | Lawrence, KS | 01/31/2025 | $56,000 |
| Impact Solutions | 1St. Shift Drafting Design Engineer | Tony, WI | 01/26/2025 | $55,000 |
| Bridgeway Professionals, Inc. | Autocad 2D Mechanical Design Engineering Drafter-Pay Up To | Richfield, WI | 12/09/2024 | $55,000 |
| Know Hire Match | Autocad 2D Mechanical Design Engineering Drafter-Pay Up To | Richfield, WI | 11/27/2024 | $55,000 |
| Cameron Craig Group | Autocad 2D Mechanical Design Engineering Drafter-Pay Up To | Richfield, WI | 11/19/2024 | $55,000 |
| Toni Group | Autocad 2D Mechanical Design Engineering Drafter-Pay Up To | Richfield, WI | 11/19/2024 | $55,000 |
Design engineer/drafter salary FAQs
Search for design engineer/drafter jobs