What are the main factors that influence an Architectural Draftsman's salary?

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

How does experience change An Architectural Draftsman's salary?

An Architectural Draftsman's salary grows with experience: a CAD Drafter I (0-2 years)earns $64,436, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $73,361, a Architectural Draftsman (4-7 years)earns $88,826, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $114,810, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $134,521,

What are the highest paying states for an Architectural Draftsman?

Architectural Draftsman salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Architectural Draftsman roles are District of Columbia $96,341, California $95,975, Massachusetts $94,696. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Architectural Draftsman roles make?

Salaries for Architectural Draftsman level roles vary by specialization: Senior Draftsman: $94,532; Architectural Draftsman/Designer: $94,352; Design Draftsman: $93,467; Mechanical Draftsman: $90,748; Revit Draftsman: $89,612.

How do different companies affect an Architectural Draftsman's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Architectural Draftsman roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Architectural Draftsman Salary in the United States

How much does an Architectural Draftsman make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for an Architectural Draftsman in the United States is $87,013 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

However, an Architectural Draftsman's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $100,897
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $78,311 to $94,281
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $70,388

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Architectural Draftsman Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$94,281	$7,857	$1,813	$45
Average	$87,013	$7,251	$1,673	$42
25th Percentile	$78,311	$6,526	$1,506	$38

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Key Factors That Influence Architectural Draftsman Salaries

An Architectural Draftsman'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 Architectural Draftsman Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Architectural Draftsman'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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $64,436
Early Career (1-2 years): $73,361
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $88,826
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $114,810
Expert (over 8 years): $134,521

Levels	Salary
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Draftsman	$64,436
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Draftsman	$73,361
Architect... Level Architectural Draftsman	$88,826
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Draftsman	$114,810
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Draftsman	$134,521

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Architectural Draftsman 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 Architectural Draftsmans. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $96,341.
California: $95,975.
Massachusetts: $94,696.

District of Columbia $96,341 California $95,975 Massachusetts $94,696 Washington $94,348 New Jersey $94,313 Alaska $94,192 Connecticut $92,991 New York $92,504

Hawaii $90,946 Rhode Island $90,215 Maryland $89,719 Minnesota $89,041 Colorado $88,779 Illinois $88,692 Oregon $88,362 Delaware $88,118

New Hampshire $87,965 Virginia $87,622 Pennsylvania $86,622 Nevada $86,117 North Dakota $85,952 Michigan $85,691 Wisconsin $85,595 Vermont $85,403

Texas $84,873 Maine $84,838 Arizona $84,786 Ohio $84,725 Georgia $83,924 Indiana $83,524 Wyoming $83,446 Utah $83,324

Iowa $83,272 Kansas $82,854 Louisiana $82,732 North Carolina $82,689 Missouri $82,671 Florida $82,332 Montana $82,149 Nebraska $81,975

Kentucky $81,879 South Carolina $81,531 Tennessee $81,314 Idaho $81,227 New Mexico $80,592 Oklahoma $80,452 Alabama $79,939 South Dakota $79,078

Arkansas $78,608 West Virginia $78,355 Mississippi $77,598

Top Paying Cities for Architectural Draftsmans

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: $109,750
San Francisco: $108,671
Oakland: $106,260

San Jose, CA $109,750

San Francisco, CA $108,671

Oakland, CA $106,260

New York, NY $100,839

Queens Village, NY $100,187

Paramus, NJ $99,491

Passaic, NJ $99,404

Bergenfield, NJ $99,317

Stamford, CT $99,186

Huntington, NY $99,099

Newark, NJ $98,534

Bridgeport, CT $98,360

New Brunswick, NJ $98,072

Vallejo, CA $97,890

Middlesex, NJ $97,838

Somerset, NJ $97,759

Petaluma, CA $97,559

Santa Cruz, CA $97,220

Boston, MA $97,046

Monterey, CA $96,611

Fairbanks, AK $96,550

Los Angeles, CA $96,384

Washington, DC $96,341

Seattle, WA $96,184

Santa Rosa, CA $96,167

Juneau, AK $95,915

Orange, CA $95,627

Anchorage, AK $95,471

Anaheim, CA $95,410

Santa Ana, CA $95,279

Nassau, NY $95,227

Long Beach, CA $95,192

Danbury, CT $95,166

Santa Maria, CA $94,870

Everett, WA $94,853

Bremerton, WA $94,427

Trenton, NJ $94,261

Sacramento, CA $94,226

San Diego, CA $94,183

Brockton, MA $94,148

Tacoma, WA $94,113

Santa Barbara, CA $93,992

Lowell, MA $93,643

New Suffolk, NY $93,609

Nashua, NH $93,504

Lompoc, CA $93,365

Ventura, CA $93,278

Stockton, CA $93,252

New Haven, CT $93,078

Atlantic City, NJ $92,852

Hartford, CT $92,660

Modesto, CA $92,617

Poughkeepsie, NY $92,425

New Britain, CT $92,382

Olympia, WA $92,260

Kennewick, WA $92,260

New London, CT $92,243

Norwich, CT $92,216

Lawrence, MA $92,173

Bakersfield, CA $91,929

Riverside, CA $91,808

New Bedford, MA $91,808

Richland, WA $91,721

Portsmouth, NH $91,651

Vineland, NJ $91,633

San Bernardino, CA $91,564

Boulder, CO $91,320

Worcester, MA $91,251

Portland, OR $91,172

Saint Paul, MN $91,068

Minneapolis, MN $91,068

Philadelphia, PA $90,946

Honolulu, HI $90,485

Springfield, MA $90,180

Providence, RI $90,172

Chicago, IL $89,919

Bellingham, WA $89,815

Baltimore, MD $89,719

Chico, CA $89,502

Wilmington, DE $89,354

Pittsfield, MA $89,267

Manchester, NH $89,101

Spokane, WA $88,719

Denver, CO $88,710

Albany, NY $88,301

Troy, NY $88,266

Schenectady, NY $88,083

Burlington, VT $87,892

Portland, ME $87,587

Salem, OR $87,518

Yakima, WA $87,500

Ann Arbor, MI $87,474

Rochester, MN $87,231

Fresno, CA $87,187

Reno, NV $87,187

Milwaukee, WI $87,109

Detroit, MI $87,022

Allentown, PA $86,996

Carson City, NV $86,987

Houston, TX $86,856

Colorado Springs, CO $86,848

Syracuse, NY $86,804

Eugene, OR $86,639

Bismarck, ND $86,535

Gary, IN $86,535

Galveston, TX $86,535

Springfield, OR $86,465

Medford, OR $86,256

Fort Collins, CO $86,221

Austin, TX $86,152

Mesa, AZ $85,969

Phoenix, AZ $85,952

Dallas, TX $85,925

Reading, PA $85,873

Saint Cloud, MN $85,838

Concord, NH $85,760

Madison, WI $85,725

Utica, NY $85,490

Raleigh, NC $85,421

Las Vegas, NV $85,412

Rochester, NY $85,351

Des Moines, IA $85,342

Atlanta, GA $85,203

Battle Creek, MI $85,177

Salt Lake City, UT $85,151

Lancaster, PA $85,021

Champaign, IL $85,003

Harrisburg, PA $84,899

Durham, NC $84,820

Kansas City, MO $84,812

Kansas City, KS $84,794

Fort Worth, TX $84,786

Boca Raton, FL $84,751

Cleveland, OH $84,742

Columbus, OH $84,725

Pittsburgh, PA $84,716

Richmond, VA $84,681

Indianapolis, IN $84,664

Cincinnati, OH $84,551

Petersburg, VA $84,420

Billings, MT $84,229

Lansing, MI $84,229

Huntsville, AL $84,229

Lebanon, PA $84,220

Dayton, OH $84,211

Pueblo, CO $84,211

Appleton, WI $84,185

Buffalo, NY $84,150

Racine, WI $84,107

Charlotte, NC $84,098

Saint Louis, MO $84,072

Springfield, IL $84,037

Elkhart, IN $84,020

York, PA $84,020

Gastonia, NC $84,011

Benton Harbor, MI $84,011

Beaumont, TX $83,959

Lorain, OH $83,942

Toledo, OH $83,907

Binghamton, NY $83,863

Rock Hill, SC $83,855

Rockford, IL $83,811

Fargo, ND $83,768

Elyria, OH $83,768

Flagstaff, AZ $83,707

Fort Lauderdale, FL $83,654

Miami, FL $83,602

Duluth, MN $83,463

Bangor, ME $83,350

Cedar Rapids, IA $83,254

Louisville, KY $83,211

Grand Rapids, MI $83,193

Hialeah, FL $83,185

Casper, WY $83,063

Scranton, PA $82,958

New Orleans, LA $82,932

Virginia Beach, VA $82,923

Akron, OH $82,880

Peoria, IL $82,767

Sarasota, FL $82,749

Green Bay, WI $82,689

Baton Rouge, LA $82,645

Charleston, SC $82,628

Nashville, TN $82,602

Jamestown, NY $82,584

Davenport, IA $82,584

Tucson, AZ $82,541

Cheyenne, WY $82,515

Saint Petersburg, FL $82,488

Tampa, FL $82,471

Omaha, NE $82,454

Port Arthur, TX $82,419

Evansville, IN $82,419

Bradenton, FL $82,384

Santa Fe, NM $82,227

Orlando, FL $82,140

Clearwater, FL $82,045

Canton, OH $81,862

La Crosse, WI $81,862

Grand Forks, ND $81,836

Albuquerque, NM $81,810

Tulsa, OK $81,810

Newport News, VA $81,801

High Point, NC $81,775

Ogden, UT $81,740

Corpus Christi, TX $81,670

Laramie, WY $81,618

Norfolk, VA $81,618

Rock Island, IL $81,566

Saginaw, MI $81,549

Jacksonville, FL $81,540

Salisbury, NC $81,523

Memphis, TN $81,505

Moline, IL $81,462

Fort Myers, FL $81,436

Waterloo, IA $81,322

Spartanburg, SC $81,235

Lincoln, NE $81,192

Fort Wayne, IN $81,175

Birmingham, AL $81,079

Cedar Falls, IA $81,061

Provo, UT $81,053

Springfield, OH $81,044

San Antonio, TX $81,027

Greensboro, NC $80,992

South Bend, IN $80,983

Winston Salem, NC $80,974

Boise, ID $80,948

Savannah, GA $80,887

Muskegon, MI $80,731

Lima, OH $80,626

Lake Charles, LA $80,592

Anderson, IN $80,574

Lexington, KY $80,548

Augusta, GA $80,522

Greenville, SC $80,522

Wichita, KS $80,444

Tuscaloosa, AL $80,444

Columbia, SC $80,365

Bloomington, IN $80,148

Roanoke, VA $80,096

Asheville, NC $79,982

Knoxville, TN $79,835

Shreveport, LA $79,826

Wilmington, NC $79,713

Frankfort, KY $79,547

Oklahoma City, OK $79,486

Chillicothe, OH $79,452

Longview, TX $79,443

Topeka, KS $79,417

Mobile, AL $79,286

Terre Haute, IN $79,252

Erie, PA $79,243

Altoona, PA $79,199

Melbourne, FL $79,173

Amarillo, TX $79,138

Killeen, TX $79,112

Fayetteville, AR $79,043

Sioux Falls, SD $78,982

Chattanooga, TN $78,930

Idaho Falls, ID $78,921

Gainesville, FL $78,738

Portsmouth, OH $78,695

Little Rock, AR $78,677

Lynchburg, VA $78,677

Lafayette, LA $78,642

Youngstown, OH $78,642

Temple, TX $78,608

Daytona Beach, FL $78,590

Clarksville, TN $78,582

Pensacola, FL $78,573

Hopkinsville, KY $78,312

Charleston, WV $78,303

Florence, SC $78,260

Sioux City, IA $78,207

Macon, GA $77,955

Tallahassee, FL $77,946

Fayetteville, NC $77,929

Waco, TX $77,912

Wichita Falls, TX $77,912

Pine Bluff, AR $77,877

Vincennes, IN $77,711

Lubbock, TX $77,677

Great Falls, MT $77,624

Alamogordo, NM $77,616

Abilene, TX $77,546

Rapid City, SD $77,433

Monroe, LA $77,433

Albany, GA $77,381

Huntington, WV $77,372

Jackson, MS $77,363

Greenville, MS $77,355

Parkersburg, WV $77,268

Montgomery, AL $77,250

Johnstown, PA $77,233

Springfield, MO $77,163

Biloxi, MS $77,120

Sumter, SC $76,937

Columbus, GA $76,928

Twin Falls, ID $76,876

Pascagoula, MS $76,763

Kingsport, TN $76,537

Gulfport, MS $76,511

Alexandria, LA $76,223

Fort Smith, AR $76,006

El Paso, TX $75,771

Helena, MT $75,658

Las Cruces, NM $75,379

Harlingen, TX $75,136

Pocatello, ID $75,058

Florence, AL $75,031

Brownsville, TX $75,014

Dothan, AL $74,875

Mcallen, TX $74,831

Columbus, MS $74,187

Altus, OK $73,787

Lawton, OK $73,622

Pierre, SD $73,309

What Skills Can Increase an Architectural Draftsman'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 an Architectural Draftsman'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	$93,974	8%
Innovation	$92,234	6%
Analysis	$91,364	5%
Leadership	$91,364	5%
Commitment	$90,494	4%
Collaboration	$90,494	4%

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How Education impacts an Architectural Draftsman's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Architectural Draftsmans 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 an Architectural Draftsman with a No Diploma is between $92,048 and $97,709).

Architectural Draftsman Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Architectural Draftsman

No Diploma 100.0%

High School 0.0%

Associates 100.0%

Bachelors 0.0%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	100.0%
High School	0.0%
Associates	100.0%
Bachelors	0.0%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Architectural Draftsman Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Architectural Draftsman'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 April 01, 2026

$78,311

Average $87,013/year

$94,281

$6,526

Average $7,251/month

$7,857

$1,506

Average $1,673/week

$1,813

$38

Average $42/hour

$45

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$94,281	$7,857	$1,813	$45
Average	$87,013	$7,251	$1,673	$42
25th Percentile	$78,311	$6,526	$1,506	$38

Salaries of jobs related to Architectural Draftsman

Salary Trends for Architectural Draftsman

Salaries for an Architectural Draftsman can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $96,634 in 2023 to around $94,392 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Architectural Draftsman salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Architectural Draftsman Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$96,634

2024

$95,566

2025

$94,392

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$96,634
2024	$95,566
2025	$94,392
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Architectural Draftsman

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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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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