Architectural Drafter Salary in the United States

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

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for an Architectural Drafter in the United States is $67,181 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $77,113
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $61,240 to $72,380
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $55,831
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View as table View as graph 25% $61,240 10% $55,831 90% $77,113 75% $72,380 $67,181 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Architectural Drafter Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $72,380 $6,032 $1,392 $35
Average $67,181 $5,598 $1,292 $32
25th Percentile $61,240 $5,103 $1,178 $29
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Key Factors That Influence Architectural Drafter Salaries

An Architectural 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 Architectural Drafter Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Architectural 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): $66,799
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $76,051
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $92,083
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $119,019
  • Expert (over 8 years): $139,452
Levels Salary
Architect... Level Architectural Drafter$66,799
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Drafter$76,051
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Drafter$92,083
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Drafter$119,019
CAD Draft... Level Architectural Drafter$139,452
$66,799 0 yr
$76,051 < 2 yrs
$92,083 2-4 yrs
$119,019 5-8 yrs
$139,452 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Architectural 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: $84,735
  • San Francisco: $83,902
  • Oakland: $82,041

What Skills Can Increase an Architectural Drafter's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 3.6% 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 2.17% 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 3.6%
Pneumatics 2.17%
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 Drafter's salary.
  • Ethernet: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
  • Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Ethernet
 $77,258
15%
Products and Services
 $71,884
7%
Presentation
 $71,212
6%
Analysis
 $70,540
5%
Leadership
 $69,868
4%
Project Management
 $69,868
4%
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How Education impacts an Architectural Drafter's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Architectural Drafters enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate 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 Drafter with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $60,895 and $64,633).

Architectural Drafter Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Architectural Drafter
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.8%
High School 24.3%
Associates 51.7%
Bachelors 21.3%
Masters 1.7%
Doctorate 0.2%
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Architectural Drafter Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Architectural 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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on April 01, 2026
$61,240
Average $67,181/year
$72,380
$5,103
Average $5,598/month
$6,032
$1,178
Average $1,292/week
$1,392
$29
Average $32/hour
$35
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $72,380 $6,032 $1,392 $35
Average $67,181 $5,598 $1,292 $32
25th Percentile $61,240 $5,103 $1,178 $29

Salaries of jobs related to Architectural Drafter

Salary Trends for Architectural Drafter

Salaries for an Architectural Drafter can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $65,361 in 2023 to around $64,030 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Architectural Drafter salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Architectural Drafter Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$65,361
2024
$64,662
2025
$64,030
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $65,361
2024 $64,662
2025 $64,030
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Architectural Drafter

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Architectural Drafter

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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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