How much does a 3d Cad Designer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a 3d Cad Designer in the United States is $87,021 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.
However, a 3d Cad Designer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $100,906
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $78,315 to $94,289
Key Factors That Influence 3d Cad Designer Salaries
A 3d Cad Designer'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, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects 3d Cad Designer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a 3d Cad Designer'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:
How Do 3d Cad Designer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract 3d Cad Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $109,760
San Francisco: $108,558
Oakland: $106,271
San Jose, CA$109,760
San Francisco, CA$108,558
Oakland, CA$106,271
New York, NY$100,196
Paramus, NJ$98,977
Queens Village, NY$98,973
Passaic, NJ$98,890
Bergenfield, NJ$98,882
Stamford, CT$98,691
Huntington, NY$98,655
Newark, NJ$98,012
Bridgeport, CT$97,829
Vallejo, CA$97,655
New Brunswick, NJ$97,621
Petaluma, CA$97,568
Middlesex, NJ$97,403
Somerset, NJ$97,342
Santa Cruz, CA$97,229
Boston, MA$96,698
Monterey, CA$96,393
Seattle, WA$96,193
Santa Rosa, CA$96,176
Los Angeles, CA$96,150
Juneau, AK$95,924
Washington, DC$95,828
Orange, CA$95,518
Santa Ana, CA$95,288
Long Beach, CA$95,201
Anaheim, CA$95,184
Anchorage, AK$95,140
Santa Maria, CA$94,879
Everett, WA$94,862
Danbury, CT$94,556
Bremerton, WA$94,436
Tacoma, WA$94,122
New Suffolk, NY$94,121
Sacramento, CA$94,096
Santa Barbara, CA$94,001
Trenton, NJ$93,905
San Diego, CA$93,905
Brockton, MA$93,809
Fairbanks, AK$93,596
Lompoc, CA$93,374
Lowell, MA$93,303
Ventura, CA$93,287
Nashua, NH$93,270
Stockton, CA$93,261
Modesto, CA$92,626
Poughkeepsie, NY$92,434
Olympia, WA$92,269
Kennewick, WA$92,269
New Haven, CT$92,234
Lawrence, MA$91,921
Hartford, CT$91,834
Riverside, CA$91,816
New Bedford, MA$91,729
Richland, WA$91,729
Bakersfield, CA$91,607
San Bernardino, CA$91,573
New Britain, CT$91,564
Atlantic City, NJ$91,564
New London, CT$91,529
Norwich, CT$91,503
Portsmouth, NH$91,486
Boulder, CO$91,301
Portland, OR$91,181
Worcester, MA$91,172
Minneapolis, MN$90,903
Philadelphia, PA$90,781
Honolulu, HI$90,494
Saint Paul, MN$90,452
Vineland, NJ$90,433
Providence, RI$90,180
Chicago, IL$89,928
Bellingham, WA$89,823
Springfield, MA$89,754
Baltimore, MD$89,728
Chico, CA$89,510
Pittsfield, MA$89,275
Manchester, NH$89,110
Spokane, WA$88,727
Denver, CO$88,718
Albany, NY$88,309
Troy, NY$88,275
Nassau, NY$88,181
Schenectady, NY$88,092
Wilmington, DE$88,022
Burlington, VT$87,900
Salem, OR$87,866
Portland, ME$87,596
Yakima, WA$87,509
Rochester, MN$87,239
Reno, NV$87,195
Fresno, CA$87,195
Milwaukee, WI$87,117
Detroit, MI$87,030
Ann Arbor, MI$87,015
Allentown, PA$87,004
Colorado Springs, CO$86,856
Syracuse, NY$86,813
Carson City, NV$86,813
Houston, TX$86,691
Eugene, OR$86,647
Gary, IN$86,543
Springfield, OR$86,473
Bismarck, ND$86,456
Galveston, TX$86,395
Medford, OR$86,264
Fort Collins, CO$86,230
Concord, NH$86,186
Austin, TX$86,160
Mesa, AZ$85,977
Reading, PA$85,968
Phoenix, AZ$85,960
Dallas, TX$85,934
Saint Cloud, MN$85,850
Madison, WI$85,733
Utica, NY$85,499
Rochester, NY$85,359
Des Moines, IA$85,351
Raleigh, NC$85,342
Atlanta, GA$85,211
Battle Creek, MI$85,185
Salt Lake City, UT$85,159
Lancaster, PA$85,029
Harrisburg, PA$84,907
Kansas City, MO$84,820
Champaign, IL$84,802
Kansas City, KS$84,802
Fort Worth, TX$84,794
Columbus, OH$84,779
Boca Raton, FL$84,759
Pittsburgh, PA$84,724
Richmond, VA$84,689
Indianapolis, IN$84,672
Cleveland, OH$84,663
Las Vegas, NV$84,559
Cincinnati, OH$84,559
Petersburg, VA$84,428
Huntsville, AL$84,298
Lansing, MI$84,239
Lebanon, PA$84,228
Pueblo, CO$84,219
Appleton, WI$84,193
Buffalo, NY$84,158
Dayton, OH$84,132
Racine, WI$84,115
Charlotte, NC$84,106
Saint Louis, MO$84,080
York, PA$84,028
Elkhart, IN$84,028
Gastonia, NC$84,011
Billings, MT$83,990
Beaumont, TX$83,967
Lorain, OH$83,950
Benton Harbor, MI$83,932
Toledo, OH$83,915
Binghamton, NY$83,871
Rock Hill, SC$83,863
Rockford, IL$83,819
Springfield, IL$83,784
Elyria, OH$83,776
Fargo, ND$83,776
Flagstaff, AZ$83,715
Fort Lauderdale, FL$83,662
Duluth, MN$83,610
Miami, FL$83,610
Cheyenne, WY$83,549
Grand Forks, ND$83,549
Bangor, ME$83,358
Cedar Rapids, IA$83,262
Durham, NC$83,226
Louisville, KY$83,219
Grand Rapids, MI$83,201
Hialeah, FL$83,192
Casper, WY$83,071
Scranton, PA$82,966
New Orleans, LA$82,940
Virginia Beach, VA$82,931
Akron, OH$82,888
Peoria, IL$82,775
Sarasota, FL$82,757
Nashville, TN$82,696
Omaha, NE$82,696
Green Bay, WI$82,696
Baton Rouge, LA$82,653
Charleston, SC$82,636
Jamestown, NY$82,592
Davenport, IA$82,592
Tucson, AZ$82,549
Saint Petersburg, FL$82,496
Tampa, FL$82,479
Evansville, IN$82,427
Port Arthur, TX$82,427
Bradenton, FL$82,392
Santa Fe, NM$82,235
Orlando, FL$82,079
Clearwater, FL$82,052
Canton, OH$81,870
La Crosse, WI$81,870
Albuquerque, NM$81,818
Newport News, VA$81,809
High Point, NC$81,783
Ogden, UT$81,748
Corpus Christi, TX$81,678
Norfolk, VA$81,626
Laramie, WY$81,626
Rock Island, IL$81,574
Saginaw, MI$81,556
Jacksonville, FL$81,548
Salisbury, NC$81,530
Boise, ID$81,513
Moline, IL$81,469
Fort Myers, FL$81,443
Memphis, TN$81,426
Tulsa, OK$81,382
Waterloo, IA$81,330
Spartanburg, SC$81,243
Lincoln, NE$81,200
Fort Wayne, IN$81,182
Provo, UT$81,174
Cedar Falls, IA$81,069
San Antonio, TX$81,034
Greensboro, NC$81,000
South Bend, IN$80,991
Savannah, GA$80,895
Muskegon, MI$80,860
Birmingham, AL$80,852
Winston Salem, NC$80,809
Lake Charles, LA$80,599
Anderson, IN$80,582
Lexington, KY$80,556
Augusta, GA$80,530
Greenville, SC$80,530
Lima, OH$80,460
Wichita, KS$80,451
Tuscaloosa, AL$80,451
Columbia, SC$80,373
Springfield, OH$80,356
Asheville, NC$80,216
Bloomington, IN$80,155
Knoxville, TN$79,842
Shreveport, LA$79,833
Wilmington, NC$79,720
Roanoke, VA$79,720
Topeka, KS$79,564
Frankfort, KY$79,554
Oklahoma City, OK$79,494
Chillicothe, OH$79,459
Longview, TX$79,451
Melbourne, FL$79,442
Sioux Falls, SD$79,303
Mobile, AL$79,294
Terre Haute, IN$79,259
Altoona, PA$79,207
Amarillo, TX$79,146
Killeen, TX$79,120
Fayetteville, AR$79,050
Chattanooga, TN$79,024
Sioux City, IA$78,946
Idaho Falls, ID$78,928
Lynchburg, VA$78,859
Gainesville, FL$78,746
Portsmouth, OH$78,702
Little Rock, AR$78,685
Lafayette, LA$78,650
Youngstown, OH$78,650
Daytona Beach, FL$78,598
Clarksville, TN$78,589
Pensacola, FL$78,580
Temple, TX$78,574
Hopkinsville, KY$78,319
Erie, PA$78,302
Florence, SC$78,267
Charleston, WV$78,128
Great Falls, MT$78,084
Macon, GA$77,962
Tallahassee, FL$77,954
Fayetteville, NC$77,936
Waco, TX$77,919
Helena, MT$77,858
Pine Bluff, AR$77,825
Vincennes, IN$77,719
Lubbock, TX$77,684
Alamogordo, NM$77,632
Twin Falls, ID$77,553
Rapid City, SD$77,527
Jackson, MS$77,371
Huntington, WV$77,365
Greenville, MS$77,362
Parkersburg, WV$77,273
Montgomery, AL$77,258
Wichita Falls, TX$77,171
Springfield, MO$77,171
Biloxi, MS$77,127
Monroe, LA$77,040
Johnstown, PA$76,979
Sumter, SC$76,944
Columbus, GA$76,936
Pascagoula, MS$76,770
Abilene, TX$76,770
Kingsport, TN$76,544
Albany, GA$76,544
Gulfport, MS$76,518
Alexandria, LA$76,231
Fort Smith, AR$76,013
El Paso, TX$75,778
Las Cruces, NM$75,387
Harlingen, TX$75,166
Pocatello, ID$75,152
Florence, AL$75,039
Brownsville, TX$75,021
Mcallen, TX$74,838
Dothan, AL$74,717
Columbus, MS$74,200
Altus, OK$73,794
Lawton, OK$73,629
Pierre, SD$73,316
What Skills Can Increase a 3d Cad Designer'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.
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 3d Cad Designer's salary.
Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
3d Cad Designer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For 3d Cad Designer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Transportation and Energy & Utilities
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, 3d Cad Designer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Construction typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view 3d Cad Designer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a 3d Cad Designer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Transportation
$113,128
$54.0
30%
Energy & Utilities
$95,724
$46.0
10%
Financial Services
$95,724
$46.0
10%
Software & Networking
$93,983
$45.0
8%
Biotechnology
$91,372
$44.0
5%
How Education impacts a 3d Cad Designer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many 3d Cad Designers enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a 3d Cad Designer with a No Diploma is between
$92,048
and $97,709).
3d Cad Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a 3d Cad Designer'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.
Salaries for a 3d Cad Designer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $96,644 in 2023
to around $94,402 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of 3d Cad Designer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of 3d Cad Designer Over Time
$???
$96,644
$95,576
$94,402
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$96,644
2024
$95,576
2025
$94,402
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for 3d Cad Designer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for 3d Cad Designer
Here are companies hiring for 3d Cad Designer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
Find Your Next 3d Cad Designer Job
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FAQ about 3d Cad Designer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for 3d Cad Designer?
The Transportation industry offers the highest average compensation for 3d Cad Designer roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
