Drafter earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level drafter earnings begin at:

$29.00 per hour

$60,320 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level drafter earnings begin at:

$25.20 per hour

$52,420 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level drafter earnings begin at:

$21.55 per hour

$44,820 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level drafter earnings begin at:

$18.00 per hour

$37,450 per year

10th percentile

Starting level drafter earnings begin at:

$15.85 per hour

$32,970 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 8% less than similar careers in Vermont. On average, they make less than industrial designers but more than broadcast and sound engineering technicians.

Career Median Salary
Industrial designer salary $64K
Web developer salary $55K
Technical support specialist salary $49K
Computer repair technician salary $49K
Graphic designer salary $47K
Drafter salary $45K
Desktop publisher salary $42K
Audio and video equipment technician salary $37K
Broadcast and sound engineering technician salary $32K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)