What are the main factors that influence a CAD Drafter I's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A CAD Drafter 's salary?

A CAD Drafter 's salary grows with experience: a CAD Drafter I (0-2 years)earns $63,513, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $72,310, a CAD Drafter III (4-7 years)earns $87,553, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $113,160, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $132,587,

What are the highest paying cities for a CAD Drafter I?

CAD Drafter I salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in Minnesota for CAD Drafter I roles are San Jose $83,460, San Francisco $82,546, Oakland $80,807.

How much do different types of CAD Drafter roles make?

Salaries for CAD Drafter level roles vary by specialization: CAD Drafter, Expert: $138,140; CAD Drafter V: $138,135; CAD Drafter, Specialist: $117,900; CAD Drafter IV: $117,895; CAD Drafter: $94,075.

What specialized skills increase a CAD Drafter I's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Ethernet (up to 15% premium), Products and Services (up to 7% premium), Presentation (up to 6% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

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CAD Drafter I Salary in Bowstring, MN

How much does a CAD Drafter I make in Bowstring, MN?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a CAD Drafter I in Bowstring, MN is $63,513 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

However, a CAD Drafter I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $72,802
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $57,691 to $68,375
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $52,391

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CAD Drafter I Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,375	$5,698	$1,315	$33
Average	$63,513	$5,293	$1,221	$31
25th Percentile	$57,691	$4,808	$1,109	$28

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence CAD Drafter I Salaries

A CAD Drafter I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects CAD Drafter Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a CAD Drafter I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

CAD Drafter I (0-2 years): $63,513
CAD Drafter II (2-4 years): $72,310
CAD Drafter III (4-7 years): $87,553
CAD Drafter IV (7+ years): $113,160
CAD Drafter V (7-10 years): $132,587

Job Role	Years of Experience	Average Salary
CAD Drafter I	0-2 years	$63,513
CAD Drafter II	2-4 years	$72,310
CAD Drafter III	4-7 years	$87,553
CAD Drafter IV	7+ years	$113,160
CAD Drafter V	7-10 years	$132,587

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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for CAD Drafter Is

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $83,460
San Francisco: $82,546
Oakland: $80,807

San Jose, CA $83,460

San Francisco, CA $82,546

Oakland, CA $80,807

New York, NY $76,187

Paramus, NJ $75,261

Queens Village, NY $75,258

Passaic, NJ $75,195

Bergenfield, NJ $75,189

Stamford, CT $75,043

Huntington, NY $75,016

Newark, NJ $74,527

Bridgeport, CT $74,388

Vallejo, CA $74,256

New Brunswick, NJ $74,230

Petaluma, CA $74,190

Middlesex, NJ $74,064

Somerset, NJ $74,018

Santa Cruz, CA $73,932

Boston, MA $73,528

Monterey, CA $73,296

Seattle, WA $73,144

Santa Rosa, CA $73,131

Los Angeles, CA $73,111

Juneau, AK $72,939

Washington, DC $72,866

Orange, CA $72,631

Santa Ana, CA $72,456

Long Beach, CA $72,390

Anaheim, CA $72,377

Anchorage, AK $72,344

Santa Maria, CA $72,145

Everett, WA $72,132

Danbury, CT $71,899

Bremerton, WA $71,808

Tacoma, WA $71,569

New Suffolk, NY $71,568

Sacramento, CA $71,550

Santa Barbara, CA $71,477

Trenton, NJ $71,404

San Diego, CA $71,404

Brockton, MA $71,331

Fairbanks, AK $71,169

Lompoc, CA $71,000

Lowell, MA $70,947

Ventura, CA $70,934

Nashua, NH $70,921

Stockton, CA $70,914

Modesto, CA $70,431

Poughkeepsie, NY $70,286

Olympia, WA $70,160

Kennewick, WA $70,160

New Haven, CT $70,134

Lawrence, MA $69,895

Hartford, CT $69,829

Riverside, CA $69,816

New Bedford, MA $69,750

Richland, WA $69,750

Bakersfield, CA $69,657

San Bernardino, CA $69,631

New Britain, CT $69,624

Atlantic City, NJ $69,624

New London, CT $69,598

Norwich, CT $69,578

Portsmouth, NH $69,565

Boulder, CO $69,424

Portland, OR $69,333

Worcester, MA $69,326

Minneapolis, MN $69,121

Philadelphia, PA $69,029

Honolulu, HI $68,810

Saint Paul, MN $68,778

Vineland, NJ $68,764

Providence, RI $68,572

Chicago, IL $68,380

Bellingham, WA $68,301

Springfield, MA $68,248

Baltimore, MD $68,228

Chico, CA $68,062

Pittsfield, MA $67,884

Manchester, NH $67,758

Spokane, WA $67,467

Denver, CO $67,460

Albany, NY $67,149

Troy, NY $67,123

Nassau, NY $67,052

Schenectady, NY $66,984

Wilmington, DE $66,931

Burlington, VT $66,838

Salem, OR $66,812

Portland, ME $66,607

Yakima, WA $66,541

Rochester, MN $66,335

Reno, NV $66,302

Fresno, CA $66,302

Milwaukee, WI $66,243

Detroit, MI $66,177

Ann Arbor, MI $66,165

Allentown, PA $66,157

Colorado Springs, CO $66,044

Syracuse, NY $66,011

Carson City, NV $66,011

Houston, TX $65,919

Eugene, OR $65,885

Gary, IN $65,806

Springfield, OR $65,753

Bismarck, ND $65,740

Galveston, TX $65,694

Medford, OR $65,594

Fort Collins, CO $65,568

Concord, NH $65,535

Austin, TX $65,515

Mesa, AZ $65,376

Reading, PA $65,369

Phoenix, AZ $65,363

Dallas, TX $65,343

Saint Cloud, MN $65,279

Madison, WI $65,191

Utica, NY $65,012

Rochester, NY $64,906

Des Moines, IA $64,900

Raleigh, NC $64,893

Atlanta, GA $64,794

Battle Creek, MI $64,774

Salt Lake City, UT $64,754

Lancaster, PA $64,655

Harrisburg, PA $64,562

Kansas City, MO $64,496

Champaign, IL $64,483

Kansas City, KS $64,483

Fort Worth, TX $64,476

Columbus, OH $64,465

Boca Raton, FL $64,450

Pittsburgh, PA $64,423

Richmond, VA $64,397

Indianapolis, IN $64,383

Cleveland, OH $64,377

Las Vegas, NV $64,297

Cincinnati, OH $64,297

Petersburg, VA $64,198

Huntsville, AL $64,099

Lansing, MI $64,055

Lebanon, PA $64,046

Pueblo, CO $64,039

Appleton, WI $64,019

Buffalo, NY $63,993

Dayton, OH $63,973

Racine, WI $63,960

Charlotte, NC $63,953

Saint Louis, MO $63,933

York, PA $63,894

Elkhart, IN $63,894

Gastonia, NC $63,881

Billings, MT $63,865

Beaumont, TX $63,847

Lorain, OH $63,834

Benton Harbor, MI $63,821

Toledo, OH $63,808

Binghamton, NY $63,775

Rock Hill, SC $63,768

Rockford, IL $63,735

Springfield, IL $63,708

Elyria, OH $63,702

Fargo, ND $63,702

Flagstaff, AZ $63,656

Fort Lauderdale, FL $63,616

Duluth, MN $63,576

Miami, FL $63,576

Cheyenne, WY $63,530

Grand Forks, ND $63,530

Bangor, ME $63,384

Cedar Rapids, IA $63,311

Durham, NC $63,284

Louisville, KY $63,278

Grand Rapids, MI $63,265

Hialeah, FL $63,259

Casper, WY $63,166

Scranton, PA $63,086

New Orleans, LA $63,067

Virginia Beach, VA $63,060

Akron, OH $63,027

Peoria, IL $62,941

Sarasota, FL $62,928

Nashville, TN $62,881

Omaha, NE $62,881

Green Bay, WI $62,881

Baton Rouge, LA $62,848

Charleston, SC $62,835

Jamestown, NY $62,802

Davenport, IA $62,802

Tucson, AZ $62,769

Saint Petersburg, FL $62,729

Tampa, FL $62,716

Evansville, IN $62,676

Port Arthur, TX $62,676

Bradenton, FL $62,650

Santa Fe, NM $62,531

Orlando, FL $62,412

Clearwater, FL $62,392

Canton, OH $62,253

La Crosse, WI $62,253

Albuquerque, NM $62,213

Newport News, VA $62,206

High Point, NC $62,187

Ogden, UT $62,160

Corpus Christi, TX $62,107

Norfolk, VA $62,067

Laramie, WY $62,067

Rock Island, IL $62,028

Saginaw, MI $62,015

Jacksonville, FL $62,008

Salisbury, NC $61,995

Boise, ID $61,981

Moline, IL $61,948

Fort Myers, FL $61,929

Memphis, TN $61,915

Tulsa, OK $61,882

Waterloo, IA $61,842

Spartanburg, SC $61,776

Lincoln, NE $61,743

Fort Wayne, IN $61,730

Provo, UT $61,723

Cedar Falls, IA $61,644

San Antonio, TX $61,618

Greensboro, NC $61,591

South Bend, IN $61,584

Savannah, GA $61,512

Muskegon, MI $61,485

Birmingham, AL $61,479

Winston Salem, NC $61,446

Lake Charles, LA $61,287

Anderson, IN $61,273

Lexington, KY $61,254

Augusta, GA $61,234

Greenville, SC $61,234

Lima, OH $61,181

Wichita, KS $61,174

Tuscaloosa, AL $61,174

Columbia, SC $61,115

Springfield, OH $61,101

Asheville, NC $60,996

Bloomington, IN $60,949

Knoxville, TN $60,711

Shreveport, LA $60,704

Wilmington, NC $60,618

Roanoke, VA $60,618

Topeka, KS $60,499

Frankfort, KY $60,492

Oklahoma City, OK $60,446

Chillicothe, OH $60,420

Longview, TX $60,413

Melbourne, FL $60,407

Sioux Falls, SD $60,301

Mobile, AL $60,294

Terre Haute, IN $60,268

Altoona, PA $60,228

Amarillo, TX $60,182

Killeen, TX $60,162

Fayetteville, AR $60,109

Chattanooga, TN $60,089

Sioux City, IA $60,029

Idaho Falls, ID $60,016

Lynchburg, VA $59,963

Gainesville, FL $59,877

Portsmouth, OH $59,844

Little Rock, AR $59,831

Lafayette, LA $59,804

Youngstown, OH $59,804

Daytona Beach, FL $59,765

Clarksville, TN $59,758

Pensacola, FL $59,752

Temple, TX $59,747

Hopkinsville, KY $59,553

Erie, PA $59,540

Florence, SC $59,513

Charleston, WV $59,407

Great Falls, MT $59,374

Macon, GA $59,282

Tallahassee, FL $59,275

Fayetteville, NC $59,262

Waco, TX $59,249

Helena, MT $59,202

Pine Bluff, AR $59,177

Vincennes, IN $59,096

Lubbock, TX $59,070

Alamogordo, NM $59,030

Twin Falls, ID $58,971

Rapid City, SD $58,951

Jackson, MS $58,832

Huntington, WV $58,827

Greenville, MS $58,825

Parkersburg, WV $58,758

Montgomery, AL $58,746

Wichita Falls, TX $58,680

Springfield, MO $58,680

Biloxi, MS $58,646

Monroe, LA $58,580

Johnstown, PA $58,534

Sumter, SC $58,508

Columbus, GA $58,501

Pascagoula, MS $58,375

Abilene, TX $58,375

Kingsport, TN $58,203

Albany, GA $58,203

Gulfport, MS $58,183

Alexandria, LA $57,965

Fort Smith, AR $57,799

El Paso, TX $57,621

Las Cruces, NM $57,323

Harlingen, TX $57,155

Pocatello, ID $57,144

Florence, AL $57,058

Brownsville, TX $57,045

Mcallen, TX $56,906

Dothan, AL $56,814

Columbus, MS $56,421

Altus, OK $56,112

Lawton, OK $55,986

Pierre, SD $55,748

What Skills Can Increase a CAD Drafter I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 3.6% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Pneumatics (Mentioned in 2.17% Job Postings): Pneumatics (pronounced new-MATT-ix) is an aspect of physics and engineering that is concerned with using the energy in compressed gas to make something move or work.
CAD Software (Mentioned in 1.38% Job Postings): Computer-aided design is the use of computers to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	3.6%
Pneumatics	2.17%
CAD Software	1.38%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a CAD Drafter I's salary.

Ethernet: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Ethernet	$73,040	15%
Products and Services	$67,958	7%
Presentation	$67,323	6%
Analysis	$66,688	5%
Leadership	$66,053	4%
Project Management	$66,053	4%

Get Latest Data

CAD Drafter I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CAD Drafter I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

$57,691

Average $63,513/year

$68,375

$4,808

Average $5,293/month

$5,698

$1,109

Average $1,221/week

$1,315

$28

Average $31/hour

$33

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,375	$5,698	$1,315	$33
Average	$63,513	$5,293	$1,221	$31
25th Percentile	$57,691	$4,808	$1,109	$28

CAD Drafter I Salary Growth & Career Path

CAD Drafter I

CAD Drafter II

CAD Senior Supervisor

For a CAD Drafter I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the CAD Drafter II role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $72,310 - a projected growth of 14% over your current level.

Salaries of jobs related to CAD Drafter I

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