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

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

How does experience change A Structural Drafter's salary?

A Structural Drafter's salary grows with experience: a CAD Drafter I (0-2 years)earns $65,819, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $74,936, a Structural Drafter (4-7 years)earns $90,733, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $117,274, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $137,408,

What are the highest paying states for a Structural Drafter?

Structural Drafter salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Structural Drafter roles are District of Columbia $98,409, California $98,035, Massachusetts $96,729. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Structural Drafter roles make?

Salaries for Structural Drafter level roles vary by specialization: Pipe Drafter: $97,998; Design Drafter: $92,996; Engineering Drafter: $91,980; Construction Drafter: $89,055; Residential Drafter: $77,161.

How do different companies affect a Structural Drafter's salary?

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

Structural Drafter Salary in the United States

How much does a Structural Drafter make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Structural Drafter in the United States is $88,881 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $103,063
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $79,991 to $96,304
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $71,898

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Structural Drafter Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$96,304	$8,025	$1,852	$46
Average	$88,881	$7,407	$1,709	$43
25th Percentile	$79,991	$6,666	$1,538	$38

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Key Factors That Influence Structural Drafter Salaries

A Structural Drafter'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 Structural Drafter Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Structural Drafter'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): $65,819
Early Career (1-2 years): $74,936
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $90,733
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $117,274
Expert (over 8 years): $137,408

Levels	Salary
CAD Draft... Level Structural Drafter	$65,819
CAD Draft... Level Structural Drafter	$74,936
Structura... Level Structural Drafter	$90,733
CAD Draft... Level Structural Drafter	$117,274
CAD Draft... Level Structural Drafter	$137,408

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Structural Drafter 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 Structural Drafters. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $98,409.
California: $98,035.
Massachusetts: $96,729.

District of Columbia $98,409 California $98,035 Massachusetts $96,729 Washington $96,373 New Jersey $96,338 Alaska $96,213 Connecticut $94,987 New York $94,489

Hawaii $92,898 Rhode Island $92,151 Maryland $91,645 Minnesota $90,952 Colorado $90,685 Illinois $90,596 Oregon $90,258 Delaware $90,009

New Hampshire $89,853 Virginia $89,503 Pennsylvania $88,481 Nevada $87,965 North Dakota $87,796 Michigan $87,530 Wisconsin $87,432 Vermont $87,236

Texas $86,694 Maine $86,659 Arizona $86,605 Ohio $86,543 Georgia $85,725 Indiana $85,316 Wyoming $85,236 Utah $85,112

Iowa $85,059 Kansas $84,632 Louisiana $84,508 North Carolina $84,463 Missouri $84,445 Florida $84,099 Montana $83,912 Nebraska $83,734

Kentucky $83,637 South Carolina $83,281 Tennessee $83,059 Idaho $82,970 New Mexico $82,321 Oklahoma $82,179 Alabama $81,655 South Dakota $80,775

Arkansas $80,295 West Virginia $80,037 Mississippi $79,264

Top Paying Cities for Structural Drafters

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: $112,105
San Francisco: $111,003
Oakland: $108,541

San Jose, CA $112,105

San Francisco, CA $111,003

Oakland, CA $108,541

New York, NY $103,004

Queens Village, NY $102,337

Paramus, NJ $101,626

Passaic, NJ $101,537

Bergenfield, NJ $101,448

Stamford, CT $101,315

Huntington, NY $101,226

Newark, NJ $100,648

Bridgeport, CT $100,471

New Brunswick, NJ $100,177

Vallejo, CA $99,991

Middlesex, NJ $99,937

Somerset, NJ $99,857

Petaluma, CA $99,653

Santa Cruz, CA $99,306

Boston, MA $99,129

Monterey, CA $98,684

Fairbanks, AK $98,622

Los Angeles, CA $98,453

Washington, DC $98,409

Seattle, WA $98,249

Santa Rosa, CA $98,231

Juneau, AK $97,973

Orange, CA $97,680

Anchorage, AK $97,520

Anaheim, CA $97,458

Santa Ana, CA $97,324

Nassau, NY $97,271

Long Beach, CA $97,235

Danbury, CT $97,209

Santa Maria, CA $96,907

Everett, WA $96,889

Bremerton, WA $96,453

Trenton, NJ $96,284

Sacramento, CA $96,249

San Diego, CA $96,204

Brockton, MA $96,169

Tacoma, WA $96,133

Santa Barbara, CA $96,009

Lowell, MA $95,653

New Suffolk, NY $95,618

Nashua, NH $95,511

Lompoc, CA $95,369

Ventura, CA $95,280

Stockton, CA $95,253

New Haven, CT $95,076

Atlantic City, NJ $94,844

Hartford, CT $94,649

Modesto, CA $94,605

Poughkeepsie, NY $94,409

New Britain, CT $94,365

Olympia, WA $94,240

Kennewick, WA $94,240

New London, CT $94,222

Norwich, CT $94,196

Lawrence, MA $94,151

Bakersfield, CA $93,902

Riverside, CA $93,778

New Bedford, MA $93,778

Richland, WA $93,689

Portsmouth, NH $93,618

Vineland, NJ $93,600

San Bernardino, CA $93,529

Boulder, CO $93,280

Worcester, MA $93,209

Portland, OR $93,129

Saint Paul, MN $93,022

Minneapolis, MN $93,022

Philadelphia, PA $92,898

Honolulu, HI $92,427

Springfield, MA $92,116

Providence, RI $92,107

Chicago, IL $91,849

Bellingham, WA $91,743

Baltimore, MD $91,645

Chico, CA $91,423

Wilmington, DE $91,271

Pittsfield, MA $91,183

Manchester, NH $91,014

Spokane, WA $90,623

Denver, CO $90,614

Albany, NY $90,196

Troy, NY $90,160

Schenectady, NY $89,974

Burlington, VT $89,778

Portland, ME $89,467

Salem, OR $89,396

Yakima, WA $89,378

Ann Arbor, MI $89,352

Rochester, MN $89,103

Fresno, CA $89,058

Reno, NV $89,058

Milwaukee, WI $88,978

Detroit, MI $88,889

Allentown, PA $88,863

Carson City, NV $88,854

Houston, TX $88,721

Colorado Springs, CO $88,712

Syracuse, NY $88,667

Eugene, OR $88,498

Bismarck, ND $88,392

Gary, IN $88,392

Galveston, TX $88,392

Springfield, OR $88,321

Medford, OR $88,107

Fort Collins, CO $88,072

Austin, TX $88,001

Mesa, AZ $87,814

Phoenix, AZ $87,796

Dallas, TX $87,770

Reading, PA $87,716

Saint Cloud, MN $87,681

Concord, NH $87,601

Madison, WI $87,565

Utica, NY $87,325

Raleigh, NC $87,254

Las Vegas, NV $87,245

Rochester, NY $87,183

Des Moines, IA $87,174

Atlanta, GA $87,032

Battle Creek, MI $87,005

Salt Lake City, UT $86,979

Lancaster, PA $86,845

Champaign, IL $86,827

Harrisburg, PA $86,721

Durham, NC $86,641

Kansas City, MO $86,632

Kansas City, KS $86,614

Fort Worth, TX $86,605

Boca Raton, FL $86,570

Cleveland, OH $86,561

Columbus, OH $86,543

Pittsburgh, PA $86,534

Richmond, VA $86,499

Indianapolis, IN $86,481

Cincinnati, OH $86,365

Petersburg, VA $86,232

Billings, MT $86,036

Lansing, MI $86,036

Huntsville, AL $86,036

Lebanon, PA $86,028

Dayton, OH $86,019

Pueblo, CO $86,019

Appleton, WI $85,992

Buffalo, NY $85,956

Racine, WI $85,912

Charlotte, NC $85,903

Saint Louis, MO $85,876

Springfield, IL $85,841

Elkhart, IN $85,823

York, PA $85,823

Gastonia, NC $85,814

Benton Harbor, MI $85,814

Beaumont, TX $85,761

Lorain, OH $85,743

Toledo, OH $85,708

Binghamton, NY $85,663

Rock Hill, SC $85,654

Rockford, IL $85,610

Fargo, ND $85,565

Elyria, OH $85,565

Flagstaff, AZ $85,503

Fort Lauderdale, FL $85,450

Miami, FL $85,396

Duluth, MN $85,254

Bangor, ME $85,139

Cedar Rapids, IA $85,041

Louisville, KY $84,997

Grand Rapids, MI $84,979

Hialeah, FL $84,970

Casper, WY $84,845

Scranton, PA $84,739

New Orleans, LA $84,712

Virginia Beach, VA $84,703

Akron, OH $84,659

Peoria, IL $84,543

Sarasota, FL $84,525

Green Bay, WI $84,463

Baton Rouge, LA $84,419

Charleston, SC $84,401

Nashville, TN $84,374

Jamestown, NY $84,357

Davenport, IA $84,357

Tucson, AZ $84,312

Cheyenne, WY $84,285

Saint Petersburg, FL $84,259

Tampa, FL $84,241

Omaha, NE $84,223

Port Arthur, TX $84,188

Evansville, IN $84,188

Bradenton, FL $84,152

Santa Fe, NM $83,992

Orlando, FL $83,903

Clearwater, FL $83,806

Canton, OH $83,619

La Crosse, WI $83,619

Grand Forks, ND $83,592

Albuquerque, NM $83,566

Tulsa, OK $83,566

Newport News, VA $83,557

High Point, NC $83,530

Ogden, UT $83,494

Corpus Christi, TX $83,423

Laramie, WY $83,370

Norfolk, VA $83,370

Rock Island, IL $83,317

Saginaw, MI $83,299

Jacksonville, FL $83,290

Salisbury, NC $83,272

Memphis, TN $83,254

Moline, IL $83,210

Fort Myers, FL $83,183

Waterloo, IA $83,068

Spartanburg, SC $82,979

Lincoln, NE $82,934

Fort Wayne, IN $82,917

Birmingham, AL $82,819

Cedar Falls, IA $82,801

Provo, UT $82,792

Springfield, OH $82,783

San Antonio, TX $82,766

Greensboro, NC $82,730

South Bend, IN $82,721

Winston Salem, NC $82,712

Boise, ID $82,686

Savannah, GA $82,623

Muskegon, MI $82,463

Lima, OH $82,357

Lake Charles, LA $82,321

Anderson, IN $82,303

Lexington, KY $82,277

Augusta, GA $82,250

Greenville, SC $82,250

Wichita, KS $82,170

Tuscaloosa, AL $82,170

Columbia, SC $82,090

Bloomington, IN $81,868

Roanoke, VA $81,815

Asheville, NC $81,699

Knoxville, TN $81,548

Shreveport, LA $81,539

Wilmington, NC $81,424

Frankfort, KY $81,255

Oklahoma City, OK $81,192

Chillicothe, OH $81,157

Longview, TX $81,148

Topeka, KS $81,121

Mobile, AL $80,988

Terre Haute, IN $80,952

Erie, PA $80,944

Altoona, PA $80,899

Melbourne, FL $80,872

Amarillo, TX $80,837

Killeen, TX $80,810

Fayetteville, AR $80,739

Sioux Falls, SD $80,677

Chattanooga, TN $80,624

Idaho Falls, ID $80,615

Gainesville, FL $80,428

Portsmouth, OH $80,384

Little Rock, AR $80,366

Lynchburg, VA $80,366

Lafayette, LA $80,330

Youngstown, OH $80,330

Temple, TX $80,295

Daytona Beach, FL $80,277

Clarksville, TN $80,268

Pensacola, FL $80,259

Hopkinsville, KY $79,993

Charleston, WV $79,984

Florence, SC $79,939

Sioux City, IA $79,886

Macon, GA $79,628

Tallahassee, FL $79,619

Fayetteville, NC $79,601

Waco, TX $79,584

Wichita Falls, TX $79,584

Pine Bluff, AR $79,548

Vincennes, IN $79,379

Lubbock, TX $79,344

Great Falls, MT $79,290

Alamogordo, NM $79,281

Abilene, TX $79,210

Rapid City, SD $79,095

Monroe, LA $79,095

Albany, GA $79,042

Huntington, WV $79,033

Jackson, MS $79,024

Greenville, MS $79,015

Parkersburg, WV $78,926

Montgomery, AL $78,908

Johnstown, PA $78,890

Springfield, MO $78,819

Biloxi, MS $78,775

Sumter, SC $78,588

Columbus, GA $78,579

Twin Falls, ID $78,526

Pascagoula, MS $78,410

Kingsport, TN $78,179

Gulfport, MS $78,153

Alexandria, LA $77,859

Fort Smith, AR $77,637

El Paso, TX $77,397

Helena, MT $77,282

Las Cruces, NM $76,997

Harlingen, TX $76,748

Pocatello, ID $76,668

Florence, AL $76,642

Brownsville, TX $76,624

Dothan, AL $76,482

Mcallen, TX $76,437

Columbus, MS $75,780

Altus, OK $75,371

Lawton, OK $75,202

Pierre, SD $74,882

What Skills Can Increase a Structural Drafter'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 Structural Drafter'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	$95,991	8%
Innovation	$94,213	6%
Analysis	$93,325	5%
Leadership	$93,325	5%
Commitment	$92,436	4%
Collaboration	$92,436	4%

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How Education impacts a Structural Drafter's Salary?

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

Structural Drafter Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Structural Drafter

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

Structural Drafter Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Structural Drafter'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

$79,991

Average $88,881/year

$96,304

$6,666

Average $7,407/month

$8,025

$1,538

Average $1,709/week

$1,852

$38

Average $43/hour

$46

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$96,304	$8,025	$1,852	$46
Average	$88,881	$7,407	$1,709	$43
25th Percentile	$79,991	$6,666	$1,538	$38

Salaries of jobs related to Structural Drafter

Salary Trends for Structural Drafter

Salaries for a Structural Drafter can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $98,708 in 2023 to around $96,418 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Structural Drafter salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Structural Drafter Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$98,708

2024

$97,617

2025

$96,418

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$98,708
2024	$97,617
2025	$96,418
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Structural Drafter

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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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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