What are the main factors that influence a CAD Drafter III'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 $57,398, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $65,348, a CAD Drafter III (4-7 years)earns $79,123, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $102,266, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $119,822,

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

CAD Drafter III salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in Texas for CAD Drafter III roles are San Jose $115,051, San Francisco $113,791, Oakland $111,393.

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 III's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Products and Services (up to 8% premium), Innovation (up to 6% premium), Analysis (up to 5% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

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CAD Drafter III Salary in Progreso, TX

How much does a CAD Drafter III make in Progreso, TX?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a CAD Drafter III in Progreso, TX is $79,123 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $91,826
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $71,908 to $85,772
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $65,339

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CAD Drafter III Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$85,772	$7,148	$1,649	$41
Average	$79,123	$6,594	$1,522	$38
25th Percentile	$71,908	$5,992	$1,383	$35

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence CAD Drafter III Salaries

A CAD Drafter III'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 III'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): $57,398
CAD Drafter II (2-4 years): $65,348
CAD Drafter III (4-7 years): $79,123
CAD Drafter IV (7+ years): $102,266
CAD Drafter V (7-10 years): $119,822

Job Role	Years of Experience	Average Salary
CAD Drafter I	0-2 years	$57,398
CAD Drafter II	2-4 years	$65,348
CAD Drafter III	4-7 years	$79,123
CAD Drafter IV	7+ years	$102,266
CAD Drafter V	7-10 years	$119,822

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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for CAD Drafter IIIs

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: $115,051
San Francisco: $113,791
Oakland: $111,393

San Jose, CA $115,051

San Francisco, CA $113,791

Oakland, CA $111,393

New York, NY $105,025

Paramus, NJ $103,748

Queens Village, NY $103,744

Passaic, NJ $103,657

Bergenfield, NJ $103,649

Stamford, CT $103,448

Huntington, NY $103,411

Newark, NJ $102,737

Bridgeport, CT $102,544

Vallejo, CA $102,363

New Brunswick, NJ $102,326

Petaluma, CA $102,271

Middlesex, NJ $102,098

Somerset, NJ $102,034

Santa Cruz, CA $101,916

Boston, MA $101,359

Monterey, CA $101,039

Seattle, WA $100,830

Santa Rosa, CA $100,812

Los Angeles, CA $100,785

Juneau, AK $100,547

Washington, DC $100,447

Orange, CA $100,122

Santa Ana, CA $99,882

Long Beach, CA $99,790

Anaheim, CA $99,772

Anchorage, AK $99,726

Santa Maria, CA $99,453

Everett, WA $99,435

Danbury, CT $99,113

Bremerton, WA $98,988

Tacoma, WA $98,659

New Suffolk, NY $98,657

Sacramento, CA $98,632

Santa Barbara, CA $98,532

Trenton, NJ $98,431

San Diego, CA $98,431

Brockton, MA $98,331

Fairbanks, AK $98,107

Lompoc, CA $97,875

Lowell, MA $97,801

Ventura, CA $97,784

Nashua, NH $97,765

Stockton, CA $97,756

Modesto, CA $97,090

Poughkeepsie, NY $96,890

Olympia, WA $96,716

Kennewick, WA $96,716

New Haven, CT $96,680

Lawrence, MA $96,351

Hartford, CT $96,260

Riverside, CA $96,242

New Bedford, MA $96,151

Richland, WA $96,151

Bakersfield, CA $96,023

San Bernardino, CA $95,987

New Britain, CT $95,977

Atlantic City, NJ $95,977

New London, CT $95,941

Norwich, CT $95,914

Portsmouth, NH $95,895

Boulder, CO $95,702

Portland, OR $95,576

Worcester, MA $95,567

Minneapolis, MN $95,284

Philadelphia, PA $95,157

Honolulu, HI $94,856

Saint Paul, MN $94,812

Vineland, NJ $94,792

Providence, RI $94,527

Chicago, IL $94,263

Bellingham, WA $94,153

Springfield, MA $94,080

Baltimore, MD $94,053

Chico, CA $93,825

Pittsfield, MA $93,578

Manchester, NH $93,405

Spokane, WA $93,004

Denver, CO $92,995

Albany, NY $92,566

Troy, NY $92,530

Nassau, NY $92,432

Schenectady, NY $92,338

Wilmington, DE $92,265

Burlington, VT $92,137

Salem, OR $92,101

Portland, ME $91,818

Yakima, WA $91,727

Rochester, MN $91,444

Reno, NV $91,398

Fresno, CA $91,398

Milwaukee, WI $91,316

Detroit, MI $91,225

Ann Arbor, MI $91,210

Allentown, PA $91,198

Colorado Springs, CO $91,043

Syracuse, NY $90,997

Carson City, NV $90,997

Houston, TX $90,869

Eugene, OR $90,824

Gary, IN $90,714

Springfield, OR $90,641

Bismarck, ND $90,623

Galveston, TX $90,559

Medford, OR $90,422

Fort Collins, CO $90,386

Concord, NH $90,340

Austin, TX $90,313

Mesa, AZ $90,121

Reading, PA $90,112

Phoenix, AZ $90,103

Dallas, TX $90,076

Saint Cloud, MN $89,988

Madison, WI $89,866

Utica, NY $89,620

Rochester, NY $89,474

Des Moines, IA $89,465

Raleigh, NC $89,456

Atlanta, GA $89,319

Battle Creek, MI $89,291

Salt Lake City, UT $89,264

Lancaster, PA $89,127

Harrisburg, PA $88,999

Kansas City, MO $88,908

Champaign, IL $88,890

Kansas City, KS $88,890

Fort Worth, TX $88,881

Columbus, OH $88,865

Boca Raton, FL $88,844

Pittsburgh, PA $88,808

Richmond, VA $88,771

Indianapolis, IN $88,753

Cleveland, OH $88,744

Las Vegas, NV $88,635

Cincinnati, OH $88,635

Petersburg, VA $88,498

Huntsville, AL $88,361

Lansing, MI $88,300

Lebanon, PA $88,288

Pueblo, CO $88,279

Appleton, WI $88,251

Buffalo, NY $88,215

Dayton, OH $88,188

Racine, WI $88,169

Charlotte, NC $88,160

Saint Louis, MO $88,133

York, PA $88,078

Elkhart, IN $88,078

Gastonia, NC $88,061

Billings, MT $88,039

Beaumont, TX $88,014

Lorain, OH $87,996

Benton Harbor, MI $87,978

Toledo, OH $87,960

Binghamton, NY $87,914

Rock Hill, SC $87,905

Rockford, IL $87,859

Springfield, IL $87,823

Elyria, OH $87,814

Fargo, ND $87,814

Flagstaff, AZ $87,750

Fort Lauderdale, FL $87,695

Duluth, MN $87,640

Miami, FL $87,640

Cheyenne, WY $87,576

Grand Forks, ND $87,576

Bangor, ME $87,376

Cedar Rapids, IA $87,275

Durham, NC $87,237

Louisville, KY $87,230

Grand Rapids, MI $87,212

Hialeah, FL $87,202

Casper, WY $87,075

Scranton, PA $86,965

New Orleans, LA $86,938

Virginia Beach, VA $86,929

Akron, OH $86,883

Peoria, IL $86,765

Sarasota, FL $86,746

Nashville, TN $86,683

Omaha, NE $86,683

Green Bay, WI $86,683

Baton Rouge, LA $86,637

Charleston, SC $86,619

Jamestown, NY $86,573

Davenport, IA $86,573

Tucson, AZ $86,527

Saint Petersburg, FL $86,473

Tampa, FL $86,455

Evansville, IN $86,400

Port Arthur, TX $86,400

Bradenton, FL $86,363

Santa Fe, NM $86,199

Orlando, FL $86,035

Clearwater, FL $86,008

Canton, OH $85,816

La Crosse, WI $85,816

Albuquerque, NM $85,761

Newport News, VA $85,752

High Point, NC $85,725

Ogden, UT $85,688

Corpus Christi, TX $85,615

Norfolk, VA $85,561

Laramie, WY $85,561

Rock Island, IL $85,506

Saginaw, MI $85,488

Jacksonville, FL $85,479

Salisbury, NC $85,460

Boise, ID $85,442

Moline, IL $85,396

Fort Myers, FL $85,369

Memphis, TN $85,351

Tulsa, OK $85,305

Waterloo, IA $85,250

Spartanburg, SC $85,159

Lincoln, NE $85,114

Fort Wayne, IN $85,095

Provo, UT $85,086

Cedar Falls, IA $84,977

San Antonio, TX $84,940

Greensboro, NC $84,904

South Bend, IN $84,895

Savannah, GA $84,794

Muskegon, MI $84,758

Birmingham, AL $84,749

Winston Salem, NC $84,704

Lake Charles, LA $84,484

Anderson, IN $84,466

Lexington, KY $84,439

Augusta, GA $84,411

Greenville, SC $84,411

Lima, OH $84,338

Wichita, KS $84,329

Tuscaloosa, AL $84,329

Columbia, SC $84,247

Springfield, OH $84,229

Asheville, NC $84,083

Bloomington, IN $84,019

Knoxville, TN $83,691

Shreveport, LA $83,682

Wilmington, NC $83,563

Roanoke, VA $83,563

Topeka, KS $83,399

Frankfort, KY $83,389

Oklahoma City, OK $83,326

Chillicothe, OH $83,289

Longview, TX $83,280

Melbourne, FL $83,271

Sioux Falls, SD $83,125

Mobile, AL $83,116

Terre Haute, IN $83,080

Altoona, PA $83,025

Amarillo, TX $82,961

Killeen, TX $82,934

Fayetteville, AR $82,861

Chattanooga, TN $82,833

Sioux City, IA $82,751

Idaho Falls, ID $82,733

Lynchburg, VA $82,660

Gainesville, FL $82,541

Portsmouth, OH $82,496

Little Rock, AR $82,478

Lafayette, LA $82,441

Youngstown, OH $82,441

Daytona Beach, FL $82,386

Clarksville, TN $82,377

Pensacola, FL $82,368

Temple, TX $82,362

Hopkinsville, KY $82,094

Erie, PA $82,076

Florence, SC $82,040

Charleston, WV $81,894

Great Falls, MT $81,848

Macon, GA $81,720

Tallahassee, FL $81,711

Fayetteville, NC $81,693

Waco, TX $81,675

Helena, MT $81,611

Pine Bluff, AR $81,576

Vincennes, IN $81,465

Lubbock, TX $81,429

Alamogordo, NM $81,374

Twin Falls, ID $81,292

Rapid City, SD $81,264

Jackson, MS $81,100

Huntington, WV $81,094

Greenville, MS $81,091

Parkersburg, WV $80,998

Montgomery, AL $80,982

Wichita Falls, TX $80,890

Springfield, MO $80,890

Biloxi, MS $80,845

Monroe, LA $80,754

Johnstown, PA $80,690

Sumter, SC $80,653

Columbus, GA $80,644

Pascagoula, MS $80,471

Abilene, TX $80,471

Kingsport, TN $80,234

Albany, GA $80,234

Gulfport, MS $80,206

Alexandria, LA $79,905

Fort Smith, AR $79,677

El Paso, TX $79,431

Las Cruces, NM $79,020

Harlingen, TX $78,789

Pocatello, ID $78,774

Florence, AL $78,656

Brownsville, TX $78,637

Mcallen, TX $78,446

Dothan, AL $78,318

Columbus, MS $77,776

Altus, OK $77,351

Lawton, OK $77,178

Pierre, SD $76,849

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 3.62% 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 2.2% 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	3.62%
Pneumatics	2.2%
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 III's salary.

Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Products and Services	$85,453	8%
Innovation	$83,871	6%
Analysis	$83,080	5%
Leadership	$83,080	5%
Commitment	$82,288	4%
Collaboration	$82,288	4%

Get Latest Data

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

Understanding how a CAD Drafter III'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

$71,908

Average $79,123/year

$85,772

$5,992

Average $6,594/month

$7,148

$1,383

Average $1,522/week

$1,649

$35

Average $38/hour

$41

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$85,772	$7,148	$1,649	$41
Average	$79,123	$6,594	$1,522	$38
25th Percentile	$71,908	$5,992	$1,383	$35

CAD Drafter III Salary Growth & Career Path

CAD Drafter III

CAD Drafter IV

CAD Senior Supervisor

For a CAD Drafter III, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the CAD Drafter IV role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $102,266 - a projected growth of 29% over your current level.

Salaries of jobs related to CAD Drafter III

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