The average salary for a drafter in District of Columbia is around $97,880 per year.
Avg Salary
Drafters earn an average yearly salary of $97,880.
Wages typically start from $67,850 and go up to $120,190.
6% above national average Updated in 2025
Drafter earnings by seniority
Top-level drafter earnings begin at:
$57.79 per hour
$120,190 per year
Senior-level drafter earnings begin at:
$56.97 per hour
$118,490 per year
Mid-level drafter earnings begin at:
$47.06 per hour
$97,880 per year
Junior-level drafter earnings begin at:
$37.96 per hour
$78,960 per year
Starting level drafter earnings begin at:
$32.62 per hour
$67,850 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Drafter salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $97,880 |
| Massachusetts | $76,990 |
| California | $76,520 |
| Colorado | $76,370 |
| Connecticut | $76,290 |
| New York | $76,260 |
| Maryland | $75,180 |
| Georgia | $74,940 |
| Oregon | $74,000 |
| Delaware | $73,040 |
| Washington | $73,000 |
| Rhode Island | $71,700 |
| Minnesota | $70,680 |
| Tennessee | $69,220 |
| Nevada | $67,000 |
| Maine | $66,200 |
| Montana | $65,750 |
| West Virginia | $65,640 |
| New Hampshire | $65,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,800 |
| Arizona | $64,750 |
| North Dakota | $64,720 |
| South Carolina | $64,680 |
| Utah | $64,290 |
| Iowa | $64,220 |
| Wyoming | $63,730 |
| Hawaii | $63,510 |
| Virginia | $63,450 |
| Texas | $63,320 |
| New Jersey | $62,960 |
| Wisconsin | $62,930 |
| North Carolina | $62,750 |
| Florida | $62,640 |
| Arkansas | $62,420 |
| Kansas | $62,220 |
| Oklahoma | $62,140 |
| Missouri | $61,940 |
| Idaho | $61,840 |
| Nebraska | $61,550 |
| Ohio | $61,450 |
| Louisiana | $61,010 |
| Vermont | $61,000 |
| Kentucky | $60,120 |
| Indiana | $60,000 |
| Mississippi | $59,920 |
| Michigan | $58,330 |
| Illinois | $58,240 |
| Alaska | $57,680 |
| Alabama | $57,100 |
| South Dakota | $52,470 |
| New Mexico | $50,230 |
| Guam | $43,190 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,760 |
How do drafter salaries compare to similar careers?
Drafters earn about the same as related careers in District of Columbia. On average, they make less than operations research analysts but more than audio and video equipment technicians.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Operations research analyst salary | $96K |
| Technical writer salary | $118K |
| Bioinformatics scientist salary | $85K |
| Audio engineer salary | $107K |
| Broadcast and sound engineering technician salary | $108K |
| Drafter salary | $98K |
| Graphic designer salary | $88K |
| Technical support specialist salary | $81K |
| Computer repair technician salary | $81K |
| Audio and video equipment technician salary | $79K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)