What are the main factors that influence an Auto CAD Operator's salary?

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

How does experience change An Auto CAD Operator's salary?

An Auto CAD Operator's salary grows with experience: a Auto CAD Operator (0-2 years)earns $64,628, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $73,580, a CAD Drafter III (4-7 years)earns $89,091, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $115,148, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $134,916,

What are the highest paying states for an Auto CAD Operator?

Auto CAD Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Auto CAD Operator roles are District of Columbia $71,965, California $71,692, Massachusetts $70,737. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Auto CAD Operator roles make?

Salaries for Auto CAD Operator level roles vary by specialization: Cad Operator: $89,934; Auto CAD Engineer: $88,927; Senior CAD Operator: $67,227; Auto CAD Designer I: $66,201; CAD Drafter I: $66,170.

How do different companies affect an Auto CAD Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Auto CAD Operator 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.

Auto CAD Operator Salary in the United States

How much does an Auto CAD Operator make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for an Auto CAD Operator in the United States is $64,998 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

However, an Auto CAD Operator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,591
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59,235 to $70,019
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $53,989

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Auto CAD Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,019	$5,835	$1,347	$34
Average	$64,998	$5,416	$1,250	$31
25th Percentile	$59,235	$4,936	$1,139	$28

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Key Factors That Influence Auto CAD Operator Salaries

An Auto CAD Operator'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 Auto CAD Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Auto CAD Operator'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): $64,628
Early Career (1-2 years): $73,580
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $89,091
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $115,148
Expert (over 8 years): $134,916

Levels	Salary
Auto CAD ... Level Auto CAD Operator	$64,628
CAD Draft... Level Auto CAD Operator	$73,580
CAD Draft... Level Auto CAD Operator	$89,091
CAD Draft... Level Auto CAD Operator	$115,148
CAD Draft... Level Auto CAD Operator	$134,916

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Auto CAD Operator 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 Auto CAD Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $71,965.
California: $71,692.
Massachusetts: $70,737.

District of Columbia $71,965 California $71,692 Massachusetts $70,737 Washington $70,477 New Jersey $70,451 Alaska $70,360 Connecticut $69,463 New York $69,099

Hawaii $67,935 Rhode Island $67,389 Maryland $67,019 Minnesota $66,512 Colorado $66,317 Illinois $66,252 Oregon $66,005 Delaware $65,823

New Hampshire $65,709 Virginia $65,452 Pennsylvania $64,705 Nevada $64,328 North Dakota $64,205 Michigan $64,010 Wisconsin $63,938 Vermont $63,795

Texas $63,399 Maine $63,373 Arizona $63,334 Ohio $63,288 Georgia $62,690 Indiana $62,391 Wyoming $62,333 Utah $62,242

Iowa $62,203 Kansas $61,891 Louisiana $61,800 North Carolina $61,767 Missouri $61,754 Florida $61,501 Montana $61,364 Nebraska $61,234

Kentucky $61,163 South Carolina $60,903 Tennessee $60,740 Idaho $60,675 New Mexico $60,201 Oklahoma $60,097 Alabama $59,713 South Dakota $59,070

Arkansas $58,719 West Virginia $58,530 Mississippi $57,965

Top Paying Cities for Auto CAD Operators

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: $81,981
San Francisco: $81,084
Oakland: $79,375

San Jose, CA $81,981

San Francisco, CA $81,084

Oakland, CA $79,375

New York, NY $74,837

Paramus, NJ $73,928

Queens Village, NY $73,924

Passaic, NJ $73,863

Bergenfield, NJ $73,857

Stamford, CT $73,714

Huntington, NY $73,687

Newark, NJ $73,207

Bridgeport, CT $73,070

Vallejo, CA $72,940

New Brunswick, NJ $72,914

Petaluma, CA $72,875

Middlesex, NJ $72,752

Somerset, NJ $72,706

Santa Cruz, CA $72,622

Boston, MA $72,225

Monterey, CA $71,997

Seattle, WA $71,848

Santa Rosa, CA $71,835

Los Angeles, CA $71,816

Juneau, AK $71,647

Washington, DC $71,575

Orange, CA $71,344

Santa Ana, CA $71,172

Long Beach, CA $71,107

Anaheim, CA $71,094

Anchorage, AK $71,062

Santa Maria, CA $70,867

Everett, WA $70,854

Danbury, CT $70,625

Bremerton, WA $70,535

Tacoma, WA $70,301

New Suffolk, NY $70,300

Sacramento, CA $70,282

Santa Barbara, CA $70,210

Trenton, NJ $70,139

San Diego, CA $70,139

Brockton, MA $70,067

Fairbanks, AK $69,908

Lompoc, CA $69,742

Lowell, MA $69,690

Ventura, CA $69,677

Nashua, NH $69,664

Stockton, CA $69,658

Modesto, CA $69,183

Poughkeepsie, NY $69,040

Olympia, WA $68,917

Kennewick, WA $68,917

New Haven, CT $68,891

Lawrence, MA $68,657

Hartford, CT $68,592

Riverside, CA $68,579

New Bedford, MA $68,514

Richland, WA $68,514

Bakersfield, CA $68,423

San Bernardino, CA $68,397

New Britain, CT $68,390

Atlantic City, NJ $68,390

New London, CT $68,364

Norwich, CT $68,345

Portsmouth, NH $68,332

Boulder, CO $68,194

Portland, OR $68,104

Worcester, MA $68,098

Minneapolis, MN $67,896

Philadelphia, PA $67,805

Honolulu, HI $67,591

Saint Paul, MN $67,560

Vineland, NJ $67,545

Providence, RI $67,357

Chicago, IL $67,168

Bellingham, WA $67,090

Springfield, MA $67,038

Baltimore, MD $67,019

Chico, CA $66,856

Pittsfield, MA $66,681

Manchester, NH $66,557

Spokane, WA $66,271

Denver, CO $66,265

Albany, NY $65,959

Troy, NY $65,933

Nassau, NY $65,864

Schenectady, NY $65,797

Wilmington, DE $65,745

Burlington, VT $65,654

Salem, OR $65,628

Portland, ME $65,426

Yakima, WA $65,361

Rochester, MN $65,160

Reno, NV $65,127

Fresno, CA $65,127

Milwaukee, WI $65,069

Detroit, MI $65,004

Ann Arbor, MI $64,993

Allentown, PA $64,985

Colorado Springs, CO $64,874

Syracuse, NY $64,842

Carson City, NV $64,842

Houston, TX $64,751

Eugene, OR $64,718

Gary, IN $64,640

Springfield, OR $64,588

Bismarck, ND $64,575

Galveston, TX $64,530

Medford, OR $64,432

Fort Collins, CO $64,406

Concord, NH $64,374

Austin, TX $64,354

Mesa, AZ $64,218

Reading, PA $64,211

Phoenix, AZ $64,205

Dallas, TX $64,185

Saint Cloud, MN $64,123

Madison, WI $64,036

Utica, NY $63,860

Rochester, NY $63,756

Des Moines, IA $63,750

Raleigh, NC $63,743

Atlanta, GA $63,646

Battle Creek, MI $63,626

Salt Lake City, UT $63,607

Lancaster, PA $63,509

Harrisburg, PA $63,418

Kansas City, MO $63,353

Champaign, IL $63,340

Kansas City, KS $63,340

Fort Worth, TX $63,334

Columbus, OH $63,323

Boca Raton, FL $63,308

Pittsburgh, PA $63,282

Richmond, VA $63,256

Indianapolis, IN $63,243

Cleveland, OH $63,236

Las Vegas, NV $63,158

Cincinnati, OH $63,158

Petersburg, VA $63,061

Huntsville, AL $62,963

Lansing, MI $62,920

Lebanon, PA $62,911

Pueblo, CO $62,905

Appleton, WI $62,885

Buffalo, NY $62,859

Dayton, OH $62,840

Racine, WI $62,827

Charlotte, NC $62,820

Saint Louis, MO $62,801

York, PA $62,762

Elkhart, IN $62,762

Gastonia, NC $62,749

Billings, MT $62,734

Beaumont, TX $62,716

Lorain, OH $62,703

Benton Harbor, MI $62,690

Toledo, OH $62,677

Binghamton, NY $62,645

Rock Hill, SC $62,638

Rockford, IL $62,606

Springfield, IL $62,580

Elyria, OH $62,573

Fargo, ND $62,573

Flagstaff, AZ $62,528

Fort Lauderdale, FL $62,489

Duluth, MN $62,450

Miami, FL $62,450

Cheyenne, WY $62,404

Grand Forks, ND $62,404

Bangor, ME $62,261

Cedar Rapids, IA $62,190

Durham, NC $62,162

Louisville, KY $62,157

Grand Rapids, MI $62,144

Hialeah, FL $62,138

Casper, WY $62,047

Scranton, PA $61,969

New Orleans, LA $61,949

Virginia Beach, VA $61,943

Akron, OH $61,910

Peoria, IL $61,826

Sarasota, FL $61,813

Nashville, TN $61,767

Omaha, NE $61,767

Green Bay, WI $61,767

Baton Rouge, LA $61,735

Charleston, SC $61,722

Jamestown, NY $61,689

Davenport, IA $61,689

Tucson, AZ $61,657

Saint Petersburg, FL $61,618

Tampa, FL $61,605

Evansville, IN $61,566

Port Arthur, TX $61,566

Bradenton, FL $61,540

Santa Fe, NM $61,423

Orlando, FL $61,306

Clearwater, FL $61,286

Canton, OH $61,150

La Crosse, WI $61,150

Albuquerque, NM $61,111

Newport News, VA $61,104

High Point, NC $61,085

Ogden, UT $61,059

Corpus Christi, TX $61,007

Norfolk, VA $60,968

Laramie, WY $60,968

Rock Island, IL $60,929

Saginaw, MI $60,916

Jacksonville, FL $60,909

Salisbury, NC $60,896

Boise, ID $60,883

Moline, IL $60,851

Fort Myers, FL $60,831

Memphis, TN $60,818

Tulsa, OK $60,786

Waterloo, IA $60,747

Spartanburg, SC $60,682

Lincoln, NE $60,649

Fort Wayne, IN $60,636

Provo, UT $60,630

Cedar Falls, IA $60,552

San Antonio, TX $60,526

Greensboro, NC $60,500

South Bend, IN $60,493

Savannah, GA $60,422

Muskegon, MI $60,396

Birmingham, AL $60,389

Winston Salem, NC $60,357

Lake Charles, LA $60,201

Anderson, IN $60,188

Lexington, KY $60,168

Augusta, GA $60,149

Greenville, SC $60,149

Lima, OH $60,097

Wichita, KS $60,090

Tuscaloosa, AL $60,090

Columbia, SC $60,032

Springfield, OH $60,019

Asheville, NC $59,915

Bloomington, IN $59,869

Knoxville, TN $59,635

Shreveport, LA $59,629

Wilmington, NC $59,544

Roanoke, VA $59,544

Topeka, KS $59,427

Frankfort, KY $59,420

Oklahoma City, OK $59,375

Chillicothe, OH $59,349

Longview, TX $59,343

Melbourne, FL $59,336

Sioux Falls, SD $59,232

Mobile, AL $59,226

Terre Haute, IN $59,200

Altoona, PA $59,161

Amarillo, TX $59,115

Killeen, TX $59,096

Fayetteville, AR $59,044

Chattanooga, TN $59,024

Sioux City, IA $58,966

Idaho Falls, ID $58,953

Lynchburg, VA $58,901

Gainesville, FL $58,816

Portsmouth, OH $58,784

Little Rock, AR $58,771

Lafayette, LA $58,745

Youngstown, OH $58,745

Daytona Beach, FL $58,706

Clarksville, TN $58,699

Pensacola, FL $58,693

Temple, TX $58,688

Hopkinsville, KY $58,498

Erie, PA $58,485

Florence, SC $58,459

Charleston, WV $58,355

Great Falls, MT $58,322

Macon, GA $58,231

Tallahassee, FL $58,225

Fayetteville, NC $58,212

Waco, TX $58,199

Helena, MT $58,153

Pine Bluff, AR $58,129

Vincennes, IN $58,049

Lubbock, TX $58,023

Alamogordo, NM $57,984

Twin Falls, ID $57,926

Rapid City, SD $57,906

Jackson, MS $57,789

Huntington, WV $57,785

Greenville, MS $57,783

Parkersburg, WV $57,716

Montgomery, AL $57,705

Wichita Falls, TX $57,640

Springfield, MO $57,640

Biloxi, MS $57,607

Monroe, LA $57,542

Johnstown, PA $57,497

Sumter, SC $57,471

Columbus, GA $57,464

Pascagoula, MS $57,341

Abilene, TX $57,341

Kingsport, TN $57,172

Albany, GA $57,172

Gulfport, MS $57,152

Alexandria, LA $56,938

Fort Smith, AR $56,775

El Paso, TX $56,600

Las Cruces, NM $56,307

Harlingen, TX $56,142

Pocatello, ID $56,132

Florence, AL $56,047

Brownsville, TX $56,034

Mcallen, TX $55,898

Dothan, AL $55,807

Columbus, MS $55,421

Altus, OK $55,118

Lawton, OK $54,994

Pierre, SD $54,760

What Skills Can Increase an Auto CAD Operator'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 Auto CAD Operator'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	$74,747	15%
Products and Services	$69,547	7%
Presentation	$68,897	6%
Analysis	$68,247	5%
Leadership	$67,597	4%
Project Management	$67,597	4%

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How Education impacts an Auto CAD Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Auto CAD Operators 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 Auto CAD Operator with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $60,895 and $64,633).

Auto CAD Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Auto CAD Operator

No Diploma 0.8%

High School 24.3%

Associates 51.7%

Bachelors 21.3%

Masters 1.7%

Doctorate 0.2%

view as table

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%

view as graph

Auto CAD Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Auto CAD Operator'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 May 01, 2026

$59,235

Average $64,998/year

$70,019

$4,936

Average $5,416/month

$5,835

$1,139

Average $1,250/week

$1,347

$28

Average $31/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,019	$5,835	$1,347	$34
Average	$64,998	$5,416	$1,250	$31
25th Percentile	$59,235	$4,936	$1,139	$28

Salaries of jobs related to Auto CAD Operator

Salary Trends for Auto CAD Operator

Salaries for an Auto CAD Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $63,237 in 2023 to around $61,949 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Auto CAD Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Auto CAD Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$63,237

2024

$62,561

2025

$61,949

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$63,237
2024	$62,561
2025	$61,949
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Auto CAD Operator

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Disability

Healthcare

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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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