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Mechanical design drafter salary
Average mechanical design drafter salary
$58,371
Mechanical Design Drafter Salary Overview
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Mechanical Design Drafter is approximately $58,371 per year, translating to about $28 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors, including experience, education, and geographic location.
Salary by State
Understanding where you can earn more is crucial. States like California and Texas often offer higher salaries for this role due to demand and cost of living adjustments. For instance, California ranks among the highest-paying states for mechanical design drafters.
Top Cities for Mechanical Design Drafters
Cities such as San Jose, CA, and Houston, TX, stand out for their competitive salaries and available job opportunities. Mechanical design drafters in these urban centers benefit from a thriving job market and the potential for career advancement.
Highest Paying Industries
Industries such as aerospace and automotive manufacturing typically offer higher salaries, reflecting the specialized skills required in these fields. By targeting these sectors, mechanical design drafters can maximize their earning potential.
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Where can a Mechanical Design Drafter earn more?
Average mechanical design drafter salary by state
The average mechanical design drafter salary in California, North Dakota, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average mechanical design drafter salary states are Kentucky, Maryland, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for mechanical design drafters
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $69,048 | $33.20 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $65,782 | $31.63 |
| 3 | Michigan | $60,882 | $29.27 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $64,663 | $31.09 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $60,847 | $29.25 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $61,843 | $29.73 |
| 7 | Montana | $61,744 | $29.68 |
| 8 | Ohio | $61,748 | $29.69 |
| 9 | Vermont | $59,903 | $28.80 |
| 10 | Utah | $57,387 | $27.59 |
| 11 | Arkansas | $63,532 | $30.54 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $62,399 | $30.00 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $56,258 | $27.05 |
| 14 | Alaska | $63,246 | $30.41 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $59,937 | $28.82 |
| 16 | Colorado | $59,457 | $28.59 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $59,287 | $28.50 |
| 18 | Oregon | $57,664 | $27.72 |
| 19 | Iowa | $56,278 | $27.06 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $57,498 | $27.64 |
| 21 | Arizona | $55,474 | $26.67 |
| 22 | Texas | $54,920 | $26.40 |
| 23 | Kansas | $54,846 | $26.37 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $56,999 | $27.40 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $55,220 | $26.55 |
| 26 | Delaware | $57,557 | $27.67 |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $54,374 | $26.14 |
| 28 | Illinois | $57,547 | $27.67 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $55,793 | $26.82 |
| 30 | Nevada | $55,994 | $26.92 |
| 31 | Connecticut | $56,165 | $27.00 |
| 32 | District of Columbia | $57,122 | $27.46 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $53,249 | $25.60 |
| 34 | New York | $56,338 | $27.09 |
| 35 | Washington | $54,131 | $26.02 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $55,739 | $26.80 |
| 37 | Missouri | $55,314 | $26.59 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $53,668 | $25.80 |
| 39 | Georgia | $51,907 | $24.96 |
| 40 | Florida | $52,937 | $25.45 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $56,754 | $27.29 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $53,115 | $25.54 |
| 43 | Idaho | $52,137 | $25.07 |
| 44 | Indiana | $51,734 | $24.87 |
| 45 | New Jersey | $54,592 | $26.25 |
| 46 | Maryland | $51,098 | $24.57 |
| 47 | Alabama | $48,646 | $23.39 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $51,552 | $24.78 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $50,018 | $24.05 |
| 50 | Virginia | $47,829 | $22.99 |
| 51 | Maine | $49,333 | $23.72 |
Highest paying cities for mechanical design drafters
The highest-paying cities for mechanical design drafters are Fremont, CA, Boston, MA, and Cincinnati, OH.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fremont, CA | $73,277 | $35.23 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $61,754 | $29.69 |
| 3 | Cincinnati, OH | $60,018 | $28.85 |
| 4 | Sioux Falls, SD | $59,905 | $28.80 |
| 5 | Longmont, CO | $59,604 | $28.66 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $57,736 | $27.76 |
| 7 | Ogden, UT | $57,655 | $27.72 |
| 8 | De Pere, WI | $56,510 | $27.17 |
| 9 | East Hartford, CT | $55,879 | $26.86 |
| 10 | Tempe, AZ | $55,486 | $26.68 |
| 11 | Midland, TX | $55,411 | $26.64 |
| 12 | Lenexa, KS | $54,982 | $26.43 |
| 13 | Monroeville, PA | $54,662 | $26.28 |
| 14 | Tacoma, WA | $54,285 | $26.10 |
| 15 | Tampa, FL | $53,079 | $25.52 |
| 16 | Charlotte, NC | $52,865 | $25.42 |
| 17 | Dalton, GA | $52,464 | $25.22 |
Mechanical design drafter salary details
A mechanical design drafter's salary ranges from $45,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $75,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a mechanical design drafter's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| Average | $58,371 | $4,864 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
Highest paying mechanical design drafter jobs
The highest paying types of mechanical design drafters are senior mechanical designer, design engineer, and mechanical design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draftsman | $42,908 | $3,576 | $20.63 | 3,143 |
| Drafting Engineer | $50,871 | $4,239 | $24.46 | 8,823 |
| Design Engineer Internship | $55,346 | $4,612 | $26.61 | 139,842 |
| Drafter | $43,542 | $3,629 | $20.93 | 3,968 |
| Design Engineer | $77,134 | $6,428 | $37.08 | 138,173 |
| Design Checker | $75,126 | $6,260 | $36.12 | 42,876 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for mechanical design drafters, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Daisy Huang
Assistant Professor, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Top companies hiring mechanical design drafters now:
Which companies pay mechanical design drafters the most?
Mechanical design drafter salaries at Salt River Project and Los Alamos National Laboratory are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average mechanical design drafter salary at companies like Tesla and Barry-Wehmiller are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt River Project | $78,176 | $37.58 |
| 2 | Los Alamos National Laboratory | $68,268 | $32.82 |
| 3 | Tesla | $66,278 | $31.86 |
| 4 | Barry-Wehmiller | $63,881 | $30.71 |
| 5 | Kiewit | $62,118 | $29.86 |
| 6 | Parkson | $61,709 | $29.67 |
| 7 | Twin Peaks Restaurants | $61,645 | $29.64 |
| 8 | Sargent & Lundy | $60,801 | $29.23 |
| 9 | Woodway Treadmills | $60,636 | $29.15 |
| 10 | Great Northern | $60,520 | $29.10 |
| 11 | Quest Global | $59,872 | $28.78 |
| 12 | RFA Engineering | $59,504 | $28.61 |
| 13 | Zachry Group | $58,966 | $28.35 |
| 14 | MI Windows and Doors | $58,037 | $27.90 |
| 15 | The Judge Group | $57,758 | $27.77 |
| 16 | PEAK Technical Staffing USA | $57,396 | $27.59 |
| 17 | Spec's | $56,514 | $27.17 |
| 18 | Velo3D | $56,360 | $27.10 |
| 19 | Globe Machine Manufacturing | $56,261 | $27.05 |
| 20 | Doosan Hydro Technology | $56,252 | $27.04 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Mechanical Design Drafter salary by industry
The average mechanical design drafter salary varies across industries:
- The average mechanical design drafter salary in the technology industry is $62,716, the highest of any industry.
- The average mechanical design drafter salary in the finance industry is $62,017.
- Mechanical design drafters in the professional industry earn an average salary of $57,874, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for mechanical design drafters
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $62,716 | $30.15 |
| 2 | Energy | $62,017 | $29.82 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $58,624 | $28.18 |
| 4 | Professional | $57,874 | $27.82 |
High paying mechanical design drafter jobs
Mechanical design drafter salary trends
The average mechanical design drafter salary has risen by $9,086 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average mechanical design drafter earned $49,285 annually, but today, they earn $58,371 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for mechanical design drafters over the last decade.
Compare mechanical design drafter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average mechanical design drafter salary over time
Compare mechanical design drafter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Mechanical design drafter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $58,400 | $28.06 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $57,200 | $27.48 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $56,000 | $26.93 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $55,200 | $26.55 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $54,600 | $26.24 | +1.8% |
Recently added mechanical design drafter salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Staffing | Mechanical Design Drafter | Manteca, CA | 06/17/2025 | $52,000 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Designer/Drafter | Warren, MI | 06/14/2025 | $64,697 |
| Selectek, Inc. | Mechanical Designer/Drafter | Kennesaw, GA | 06/13/2025 | $50,000 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Designer/Drafter | Otsego, MN | 05/28/2025 | $65,000 |
| Technipower | Mechanical Designer/Drafter | Saint Paul, MN | 05/22/2025 | $41,740 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Designer/Drafter | Orlando, FL | 05/22/2025 | $100,176 |
| Star Staffing | Senior Mechanical Design Drafter | Temecula, CA | 05/20/2025 | $62,500 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Designer/Drafter | Warren, MI | 05/20/2025 | $64,697 |
| Actalent | Mechanical Designer/Drafter | Spiceland, IN | 05/13/2025 | $52,175 |
| Staffmark Group | Senior Mechanical Design Drafter | Beverly, MA | 05/09/2025 | $80,000 |
Mechanical design drafter salary FAQs
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