The average salary for a drafter in the United States is around $48,085 per year.
Avg Salary
Drafters earn an average yearly salary of $48,085.
Wages typically start from $30,632 and go up to $75,484.
23% below national average Updated in 2019
Drafter earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level drafter earnings begin at:
$36.29 per hour
$75,484 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level drafter earnings begin at:
$29.31 per hour
$60,966 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level drafter earnings begin at:
$23.12 per hour
$48,085 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level drafter earnings begin at:
$18.23 per hour
$37,926 per year
10th percentile
Starting level drafter earnings begin at:
$14.73 per hour
$30,632 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Drafter salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $65,100 |
| California | $61,590 |
| Connecticut | $61,570 |
| Maryland | $61,400 |
| Massachusetts | $58,610 |
| New York | $58,230 |
| New Jersey | $57,790 |
| Alaska | $57,680 |
| Rhode Island | $57,070 |
| North Dakota | $56,180 |
| Georgia | $55,970 |
| Colorado | $55,568 |
| Oregon | $55,020 |
| Hawaii | $54,520 |
| Louisiana | $54,490 |
| Washington | $54,490 |
| Wyoming | $54,090 |
| Minnesota | $53,910 |
| Oklahoma | $53,440 |
| Texas | $53,340 |
| Delaware | $52,890 |
| Florida | $52,620 |
| Virginia | $51,950 |
| New Hampshire | $51,840 |
| Wisconsin | $51,630 |
| Ohio | $51,400 |
| North Carolina | $51,260 |
| West Virginia | $51,130 |
| New Mexico | $51,070 |
| Indiana | $50,555 |
| Utah | $50,530 |
| Missouri | $50,420 |
| Maine | $50,070 |
| Alabama | $50,000 |
| Kansas | $49,808 |
| Tennessee | $49,800 |
| Michigan | $49,310 |
| South Carolina | $49,130 |
| Arizona | $49,055 |
| Iowa | $48,840 |
| Nebraska | $48,680 |
| Mississippi | $48,090 |
| Kentucky | $47,480 |
| Idaho | $46,663 |
| Nevada | $46,270 |
| Montana | $45,940 |
| Vermont | $44,820 |
| Illinois | $44,637 |
| Guam | $43,190 |
| Arkansas | $42,931 |
| South Dakota | $42,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,152 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,760 |
How do drafter salaries compare to similar careers?
Drafters earn 9% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than industrial designers but more than graphic designers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Industrial designer salary | $67K |
| Technical writer salary | $65K |
| Audio engineer salary | $53K |
| Hydroelectric plant technician salary | $58K |
| Desktop publisher salary | $45K |
| Drafter salary | $48K |
| Audio and video equipment technician salary | $46K |
| Broadcast and sound engineering technician salary | $41K |
| Graphic designer salary | $39K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)