What are the main factors that influence a Mechanical Draftsman's salary?

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

How does experience change A Mechanical Draftsman's salary?

A Mechanical Draftsman's salary grows with experience: a CAD Drafter I (0-2 years)earns $67,202, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $76,510, a Mechanical Draftsman (4-7 years)earns $92,639, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $119,738, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $140,295,

What are the highest paying states for a Mechanical Draftsman?

Mechanical Draftsman salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Mechanical Draftsman roles are District of Columbia $100,476, California $100,095, Massachusetts $98,761. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Mechanical Draftsman roles make?

Salaries for Mechanical Draftsman level roles vary by specialization: Senior Draftsman: $94,532; Design Draftsman: $93,467; Revit Draftsman: $89,612; Draftsman: $89,401; Engineering Draftsman: $89,164.

How do different companies affect a Mechanical Draftsman's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Mechanical 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.

Mechanical Draftsman Salary in the United States

How much does a Mechanical Draftsman make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Mechanical Draftsman in the United States is $90,748 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $105,229
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,672 to $98,328
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $73,409

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Mechanical Draftsman Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$98,328	$8,194	$1,891	$47
Average	$90,748	$7,562	$1,745	$44
25th Percentile	$81,672	$6,806	$1,571	$39

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Key Factors That Influence Mechanical Draftsman Salaries

A Mechanical 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 Mechanical Draftsman Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Mechanical 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): $67,202
Early Career (1-2 years): $76,510
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $92,639
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $119,738
Expert (over 8 years): $140,295

Levels	Salary
CAD Draft... Level Mechanical Draftsman	$67,202
CAD Draft... Level Mechanical Draftsman	$76,510
Mechanica... Level Mechanical Draftsman	$92,639
CAD Draft... Level Mechanical Draftsman	$119,738
CAD Draft... Level Mechanical Draftsman	$140,295

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What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $100,476.
California: $100,095.
Massachusetts: $98,761.

District of Columbia $100,476 California $100,095 Massachusetts $98,761 Washington $98,398 New Jersey $98,362 Alaska $98,235 Connecticut $96,982 New York $96,474

Hawaii $94,850 Rhode Island $94,088 Maryland $93,570 Minnesota $92,863 Colorado $92,590 Illinois $92,500 Oregon $92,155 Delaware $91,901

New Hampshire $91,741 Virginia $91,383 Pennsylvania $90,340 Nevada $89,813 North Dakota $89,641 Michigan $89,369 Wisconsin $89,269 Vermont $89,069

Texas $88,516 Maine $88,479 Arizona $88,425 Ohio $88,361 Georgia $87,527 Indiana $87,109 Wyoming $87,027 Utah $86,900

Iowa $86,846 Kansas $86,410 Louisiana $86,283 North Carolina $86,238 Missouri $86,220 Florida $85,866 Montana $85,675 Nebraska $85,494

Kentucky $85,394 South Carolina $85,031 Tennessee $84,804 Idaho $84,713 New Mexico $84,051 Oklahoma $83,906 Alabama $83,370 South Dakota $82,472

Arkansas $81,982 West Virginia $81,719 Mississippi $80,929

Top Paying Cities for Mechanical 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: $114,461
San Francisco: $113,335
Oakland: $110,822

San Jose, CA $114,461

San Francisco, CA $113,335

Oakland, CA $110,822

New York, NY $105,168

Queens Village, NY $104,487

Paramus, NJ $103,761

Passaic, NJ $103,671

Bergenfield, NJ $103,580

Stamford, CT $103,444

Huntington, NY $103,353

Newark, NJ $102,763

Bridgeport, CT $102,582

New Brunswick, NJ $102,282

Vallejo, CA $102,092

Middlesex, NJ $102,037

Somerset, NJ $101,955

Petaluma, CA $101,747

Santa Cruz, CA $101,393

Boston, MA $101,211

Monterey, CA $100,758

Fairbanks, AK $100,694

Los Angeles, CA $100,522

Washington, DC $100,476

Seattle, WA $100,313

Santa Rosa, CA $100,295

Juneau, AK $100,032

Orange, CA $99,732

Anchorage, AK $99,569

Anaheim, CA $99,505

Santa Ana, CA $99,369

Nassau, NY $99,315

Long Beach, CA $99,278

Danbury, CT $99,251

Santa Maria, CA $98,943

Everett, WA $98,925

Bremerton, WA $98,480

Trenton, NJ $98,307

Sacramento, CA $98,271

San Diego, CA $98,226

Brockton, MA $98,189

Tacoma, WA $98,153

Santa Barbara, CA $98,026

Lowell, MA $97,663

New Suffolk, NY $97,627

Nashua, NH $97,518

Lompoc, CA $97,373

Ventura, CA $97,282

Stockton, CA $97,255

New Haven, CT $97,073

Atlantic City, NJ $96,837

Hartford, CT $96,638

Modesto, CA $96,592

Poughkeepsie, NY $96,393

New Britain, CT $96,347

Olympia, WA $96,220

Kennewick, WA $96,220

New London, CT $96,202

Norwich, CT $96,175

Lawrence, MA $96,129

Bakersfield, CA $95,875

Riverside, CA $95,748

New Bedford, MA $95,748

Richland, WA $95,658

Portsmouth, NH $95,585

Vineland, NJ $95,567

San Bernardino, CA $95,494

Boulder, CO $95,240

Worcester, MA $95,168

Portland, OR $95,086

Saint Paul, MN $94,977

Minneapolis, MN $94,977

Philadelphia, PA $94,850

Honolulu, HI $94,369

Springfield, MA $94,051

Providence, RI $94,042

Chicago, IL $93,779

Bellingham, WA $93,670

Baltimore, MD $93,570

Chico, CA $93,343

Wilmington, DE $93,189

Pittsfield, MA $93,098

Manchester, NH $92,926

Spokane, WA $92,527

Denver, CO $92,518

Albany, NY $92,091

Troy, NY $92,055

Schenectady, NY $91,864

Burlington, VT $91,665

Portland, ME $91,347

Salem, OR $91,274

Yakima, WA $91,256

Ann Arbor, MI $91,229

Rochester, MN $90,975

Fresno, CA $90,930

Reno, NV $90,930

Milwaukee, WI $90,848

Detroit, MI $90,757

Allentown, PA $90,730

Carson City, NV $90,721

Houston, TX $90,585

Colorado Springs, CO $90,576

Syracuse, NY $90,530

Eugene, OR $90,358

Bismarck, ND $90,249

Gary, IN $90,249

Galveston, TX $90,249

Springfield, OR $90,176

Medford, OR $89,959

Fort Collins, CO $89,922

Austin, TX $89,850

Mesa, AZ $89,659

Phoenix, AZ $89,641

Dallas, TX $89,614

Reading, PA $89,559

Saint Cloud, MN $89,523

Concord, NH $89,441

Madison, WI $89,405

Utica, NY $89,160

Raleigh, NC $89,087

Las Vegas, NV $89,078

Rochester, NY $89,015

Des Moines, IA $89,006

Atlanta, GA $88,861

Battle Creek, MI $88,833

Salt Lake City, UT $88,806

Lancaster, PA $88,670

Champaign, IL $88,652

Harrisburg, PA $88,543

Durham, NC $88,461

Kansas City, MO $88,452

Kansas City, KS $88,434

Fort Worth, TX $88,425

Boca Raton, FL $88,389

Cleveland, OH $88,380

Columbus, OH $88,361

Pittsburgh, PA $88,352

Richmond, VA $88,316

Indianapolis, IN $88,298

Cincinnati, OH $88,180

Petersburg, VA $88,044

Billings, MT $87,844

Lansing, MI $87,844

Huntsville, AL $87,844

Lebanon, PA $87,835

Dayton, OH $87,826

Pueblo, CO $87,826

Appleton, WI $87,799

Buffalo, NY $87,762

Racine, WI $87,717

Charlotte, NC $87,708

Saint Louis, MO $87,681

Springfield, IL $87,645

Elkhart, IN $87,626

York, PA $87,626

Gastonia, NC $87,617

Benton Harbor, MI $87,617

Beaumont, TX $87,563

Lorain, OH $87,545

Toledo, OH $87,508

Binghamton, NY $87,463

Rock Hill, SC $87,454

Rockford, IL $87,409

Fargo, ND $87,363

Elyria, OH $87,363

Flagstaff, AZ $87,300

Fort Lauderdale, FL $87,245

Miami, FL $87,191

Duluth, MN $87,046

Bangor, ME $86,928

Cedar Rapids, IA $86,828

Louisville, KY $86,782

Grand Rapids, MI $86,764

Hialeah, FL $86,755

Casper, WY $86,628

Scranton, PA $86,519

New Orleans, LA $86,492

Virginia Beach, VA $86,483

Akron, OH $86,438

Peoria, IL $86,320

Sarasota, FL $86,301

Green Bay, WI $86,238

Baton Rouge, LA $86,193

Charleston, SC $86,174

Nashville, TN $86,147

Jamestown, NY $86,129

Davenport, IA $86,129

Tucson, AZ $86,084

Cheyenne, WY $86,056

Saint Petersburg, FL $86,029

Tampa, FL $86,011

Omaha, NE $85,993

Port Arthur, TX $85,957

Evansville, IN $85,957

Bradenton, FL $85,920

Santa Fe, NM $85,757

Orlando, FL $85,666

Clearwater, FL $85,566

Canton, OH $85,376

La Crosse, WI $85,376

Grand Forks, ND $85,349

Albuquerque, NM $85,321

Tulsa, OK $85,321

Newport News, VA $85,312

High Point, NC $85,285

Ogden, UT $85,249

Corpus Christi, TX $85,176

Laramie, WY $85,122

Norfolk, VA $85,122

Rock Island, IL $85,067

Saginaw, MI $85,049

Jacksonville, FL $85,040

Salisbury, NC $85,022

Memphis, TN $85,004

Moline, IL $84,958

Fort Myers, FL $84,931

Waterloo, IA $84,813

Spartanburg, SC $84,722

Lincoln, NE $84,677

Fort Wayne, IN $84,659

Birmingham, AL $84,559

Cedar Falls, IA $84,541

Provo, UT $84,532

Springfield, OH $84,523

San Antonio, TX $84,505

Greensboro, NC $84,468

South Bend, IN $84,459

Winston Salem, NC $84,450

Boise, ID $84,423

Savannah, GA $84,359

Muskegon, MI $84,196

Lima, OH $84,087

Lake Charles, LA $84,051

Anderson, IN $84,033

Lexington, KY $84,006

Augusta, GA $83,978

Greenville, SC $83,978

Wichita, KS $83,897

Tuscaloosa, AL $83,897

Columbia, SC $83,815

Bloomington, IN $83,588

Roanoke, VA $83,534

Asheville, NC $83,416

Knoxville, TN $83,261

Shreveport, LA $83,252

Wilmington, NC $83,134

Frankfort, KY $82,962

Oklahoma City, OK $82,898

Chillicothe, OH $82,862

Longview, TX $82,853

Topeka, KS $82,826

Mobile, AL $82,690

Terre Haute, IN $82,653

Erie, PA $82,644

Altoona, PA $82,599

Melbourne, FL $82,572

Amarillo, TX $82,535

Killeen, TX $82,508

Fayetteville, AR $82,436

Sioux Falls, SD $82,372

Chattanooga, TN $82,318

Idaho Falls, ID $82,309

Gainesville, FL $82,118

Portsmouth, OH $82,073

Little Rock, AR $82,054

Lynchburg, VA $82,054

Lafayette, LA $82,018

Youngstown, OH $82,018

Temple, TX $81,982

Daytona Beach, FL $81,964

Clarksville, TN $81,955

Pensacola, FL $81,946

Hopkinsville, KY $81,673

Charleston, WV $81,664

Florence, SC $81,619

Sioux City, IA $81,564

Macon, GA $81,301

Tallahassee, FL $81,292

Fayetteville, NC $81,274

Waco, TX $81,256

Wichita Falls, TX $81,256

Pine Bluff, AR $81,220

Vincennes, IN $81,047

Lubbock, TX $81,011

Great Falls, MT $80,956

Alamogordo, NM $80,947

Abilene, TX $80,875

Rapid City, SD $80,757

Monroe, LA $80,757

Albany, GA $80,702

Huntington, WV $80,693

Jackson, MS $80,684

Greenville, MS $80,675

Parkersburg, WV $80,584

Montgomery, AL $80,566

Johnstown, PA $80,548

Springfield, MO $80,475

Biloxi, MS $80,430

Sumter, SC $80,239

Columbus, GA $80,230

Twin Falls, ID $80,176

Pascagoula, MS $80,058

Kingsport, TN $79,822

Gulfport, MS $79,795

Alexandria, LA $79,495

Fort Smith, AR $79,268

El Paso, TX $79,023

Helena, MT $78,905

Las Cruces, NM $78,615

Harlingen, TX $78,361

Pocatello, ID $78,279

Florence, AL $78,252

Brownsville, TX $78,234

Dothan, AL $78,089

Mcallen, TX $78,043

Columbus, MS $77,372

Altus, OK $76,954

Lawton, OK $76,782

Pierre, SD $76,455

What Skills Can Increase a Mechanical 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 a Mechanical 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	$98,008	8%
Innovation	$96,193	6%
Analysis	$95,286	5%
Leadership	$95,286	5%
Commitment	$94,378	4%
Collaboration	$94,378	4%

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How Education impacts a Mechanical Draftsman's Salary?

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

Mechanical Draftsman Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Mechanical 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

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

Understanding how a Mechanical 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

$81,672

Average $90,748/year

$98,328

$6,806

Average $7,562/month

$8,194

$1,571

Average $1,745/week

$1,891

$39

Average $44/hour

$47

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$98,328	$8,194	$1,891	$47
Average	$90,748	$7,562	$1,745	$44
25th Percentile	$81,672	$6,806	$1,571	$39

Salaries of jobs related to Mechanical Draftsman

Salary Trends for Mechanical Draftsman

Salaries for a Mechanical Draftsman can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $100,782 in 2023 to around $98,444 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Mechanical Draftsman salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Mechanical Draftsman Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$100,782

2024

$99,668

2025

$98,444

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$100,782
2024	$99,668
2025	$98,444
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Mechanical 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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