Drafter earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level drafter earnings begin at:

$37.20 per hour

$77,380 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level drafter earnings begin at:

$30.70 per hour

$63,850 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level drafter earnings begin at:

$27.53 per hour

$57,260 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level drafter earnings begin at:

$22.52 per hour

$46,840 per year

10th percentile

Starting level drafter earnings begin at:

$18.13 per hour

$37,710 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Drafter salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Alaska $76,470
Massachusetts $62,880
District of Columbia $62,230
Maryland $62,230
California $61,820
Illinois $61,760
Ohio $61,650
Colorado $61,610
Washington $61,170
Connecticut $60,980
Hawaii $60,980
New Jersey $60,980
New York $60,850
Vermont $60,780
Nevada $60,670
Minnesota $60,640
Rhode Island $60,460
Pennsylvania $60,380
Georgia $60,360
Arizona $60,220
New Hampshire $60,220
South Carolina $59,950
Delaware $59,330
Oregon $59,330
Wisconsin $59,330
Iowa $59,240
Texas $59,110
Tennessee $58,730
North Carolina $58,410
Virginia $58,110
West Virginia $57,780
Maine $57,260
Missouri $56,400
Louisiana $55,760
Indiana $54,830
New Mexico $49,930
Alabama $49,770
Arkansas $49,320
Oklahoma $49,250
Florida $48,720
Montana $48,680
North Dakota $48,670
Nebraska $48,670
Wyoming $48,670
Kansas $48,460
Utah $48,460
Michigan $48,410
Kentucky $47,840
Idaho $47,600
Guam $47,120
Mississippi $46,880
South Dakota $44,680
Puerto Rico $30,000

How do drafter salaries compare to similar careers?

Drafters earn about the same as related careers in Maine. On average, they make less than interior designers but more than pipefitters.

Career Median Salary
Interior designer salary $60K
Remote sensing technician salary $54K
Quality control inspector salary $54K
Machine assembler salary $60K
Industrial machinery mechanic salary $59K
Drafter salary $57K
Wedding planner salary $48K
Event planner salary $48K
Power engineer salary $51K
Pipefitter salary $59K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)