Drafter earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level drafter earnings begin at:

$40.83 per hour

$84,920 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level drafter earnings begin at:

$33.58 per hour

$69,850 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level drafter earnings begin at:

$24.58 per hour

$51,130 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level drafter earnings begin at:

$18.60 per hour

$38,690 per year

10th percentile

Starting level drafter earnings begin at:

$15.30 per hour

$31,830 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 6% less than similar careers in West Virginia. On average, they make less than online merchants but more than graphic designers.

Career Median Salary
Online merchant salary $66K
Bioinformatics scientist salary $71K
Computer systems administrator salary $65K
Database administrator salary $66K
Operations research analyst salary $52K
Drafter salary $51K
Web developer salary $54K
Hydroelectric plant technician salary $57K
Industrial designer salary $50K
Graphic designer salary $37K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)