What are the main factors that influence a Cad Designer's salary?

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

How does experience change A Cad Designer's salary?

A Cad Designer's salary grows with experience: a Cad Designer (0-2 years)earns $66,216, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $75,387, a CAD Drafter III (4-7 years)earns $91,280, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $117,991, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $138,249,

What are the highest paying states for a Cad Designer?

Cad Designer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Cad Designer roles are District of Columbia $73,735, California $73,455, Massachusetts $72,477. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Cad Designer roles make?

Salaries for Cad Designer level roles vary by specialization: CAD Designer V: $138,200; CAD Designer IV: $118,000; CAD Designer III: $91,220; Senior CAD Designer: $79,748; CAD Designer II: $75,390.

How do different companies affect a Cad Designer's salary?

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

Cad Designer Salary in the United States

How much does a Cad Designer make in the United States?

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cad Designer in the United States is $66,596 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,463
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $60,704 to $71,761
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $55,340

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Cad Designer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$71,761	$5,980	$1,380	$35
Average	$66,596	$5,550	$1,281	$32
25th Percentile	$60,704	$5,059	$1,167	$29

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Key Factors That Influence Cad Designer Salaries

A Cad Designer'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 Cad Designer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Cad Designer'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): $66,216
Early Career (1-2 years): $75,387
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,280
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $117,991
Expert (over 8 years): $138,249

Levels	Salary
Cad Desig... Level Cad Designer	$66,216
CAD Draft... Level Cad Designer	$75,387
CAD Draft... Level Cad Designer	$91,280
CAD Draft... Level Cad Designer	$117,991
CAD Draft... Level Cad Designer	$138,249

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Cad Designer 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 Cad Designers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $73,735.
California: $73,455.
Massachusetts: $72,477.

District of Columbia $73,735 California $73,455 Massachusetts $72,477 Washington $72,210 New Jersey $72,184 Alaska $72,090 Connecticut $71,171 New York $70,798

Hawaii $69,606 Rhode Island $69,047 Maryland $68,667 Minnesota $68,148 Colorado $67,948 Illinois $67,881 Oregon $67,628 Delaware $67,442

New Hampshire $67,325 Virginia $67,062 Pennsylvania $66,296 Nevada $65,910 North Dakota $65,784 Michigan $65,584 Wisconsin $65,511 Vermont $65,364

Texas $64,958 Maine $64,931 Arizona $64,891 Ohio $64,845 Georgia $64,232 Indiana $63,926 Wyoming $63,866 Utah $63,772

Iowa $63,732 Kansas $63,413 Louisiana $63,320 North Carolina $63,286 Missouri $63,273 Florida $63,013 Montana $62,873 Nebraska $62,740

Kentucky $62,667 South Carolina $62,401 Tennessee $62,234 Idaho $62,167 New Mexico $61,681 Oklahoma $61,575 Alabama $61,182 South Dakota $60,523

Arkansas $60,163 West Virginia $59,970 Mississippi $59,390

Top Paying Cities for Cad Designers

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: $83,998
San Francisco: $83,172
Oakland: $81,327

San Jose, CA $83,998

San Francisco, CA $83,172

Oakland, CA $81,327

New York, NY $77,178

Queens Village, NY $76,679

Paramus, NJ $76,146

Passaic, NJ $76,079

Bergenfield, NJ $76,013

Stamford, CT $75,913

Huntington, NY $75,846

Newark, NJ $75,413

Bridgeport, CT $75,280

New Brunswick, NJ $75,060

Vallejo, CA $74,921

Middlesex, NJ $74,881

Somerset, NJ $74,821

Petaluma, CA $74,668

Santa Cruz, CA $74,408

Boston, MA $74,275

Monterey, CA $73,942

Fairbanks, AK $73,895

Los Angeles, CA $73,768

Washington, DC $73,735

Seattle, WA $73,615

Santa Rosa, CA $73,602

Juneau, AK $73,409

Orange, CA $73,189

Anchorage, AK $73,069

Anaheim, CA $73,023

Santa Ana, CA $72,923

Nassau, NY $72,883

Long Beach, CA $72,856

Danbury, CT $72,836

Santa Maria, CA $72,610

Everett, WA $72,596

Bremerton, WA $72,270

Trenton, NJ $72,144

Sacramento, CA $72,117

San Diego, CA $72,084

Brockton, MA $72,057

Tacoma, WA $72,030

Santa Barbara, CA $71,937

Lowell, MA $71,671

New Suffolk, NY $71,644

Nashua, NH $71,564

Lompoc, CA $71,458

Ventura, CA $71,391

Stockton, CA $71,371

New Haven, CT $71,238

Atlantic City, NJ $71,065

Hartford, CT $70,918

Modesto, CA $70,885

Poughkeepsie, NY $70,738

New Britain, CT $70,705

Olympia, WA $70,612

Kennewick, WA $70,612

New London, CT $70,599

Norwich, CT $70,579

Lawrence, MA $70,545

Bakersfield, CA $70,359

Riverside, CA $70,266

New Bedford, MA $70,266

Richland, WA $70,199

Portsmouth, NH $70,146

Vineland, NJ $70,132

San Bernardino, CA $70,079

Boulder, CO $69,893

Worcester, MA $69,839

Portland, OR $69,779

Saint Paul, MN $69,699

Minneapolis, MN $69,699

Philadelphia, PA $69,606

Honolulu, HI $69,253

Springfield, MA $69,020

Providence, RI $69,014

Chicago, IL $68,820

Bellingham, WA $68,740

Baltimore, MD $68,667

Chico, CA $68,501

Wilmington, DE $68,388

Pittsfield, MA $68,321

Manchester, NH $68,194

Spokane, WA $67,901

Denver, CO $67,895

Albany, NY $67,582

Troy, NY $67,555

Schenectady, NY $67,415

Burlington, VT $67,269

Portland, ME $67,036

Salem, OR $66,982

Yakima, WA $66,969

Ann Arbor, MI $66,949

Rochester, MN $66,763

Fresno, CA $66,729

Reno, NV $66,729

Milwaukee, WI $66,669

Detroit, MI $66,603

Allentown, PA $66,583

Carson City, NV $66,576

Houston, TX $66,476

Colorado Springs, CO $66,470

Syracuse, NY $66,436

Eugene, OR $66,310

Bismarck, ND $66,230

Gary, IN $66,230

Galveston, TX $66,230

Springfield, OR $66,177

Medford, OR $66,017

Fort Collins, CO $65,990

Austin, TX $65,937

Mesa, AZ $65,797

Phoenix, AZ $65,784

Dallas, TX $65,764

Reading, PA $65,724

Saint Cloud, MN $65,697

Concord, NH $65,637

Madison, WI $65,610

Utica, NY $65,431

Raleigh, NC $65,377

Las Vegas, NV $65,371

Rochester, NY $65,324

Des Moines, IA $65,317

Atlanta, GA $65,211

Battle Creek, MI $65,191

Salt Lake City, UT $65,171

Lancaster, PA $65,071

Champaign, IL $65,058

Harrisburg, PA $64,978

Durham, NC $64,918

Kansas City, MO $64,911

Kansas City, KS $64,898

Fort Worth, TX $64,891

Boca Raton, FL $64,865

Cleveland, OH $64,858

Columbus, OH $64,845

Pittsburgh, PA $64,838

Richmond, VA $64,811

Indianapolis, IN $64,798

Cincinnati, OH $64,711

Petersburg, VA $64,612

Billings, MT $64,465

Lansing, MI $64,465

Huntsville, AL $64,465

Lebanon, PA $64,458

Dayton, OH $64,452

Pueblo, CO $64,452

Appleton, WI $64,432

Buffalo, NY $64,405

Racine, WI $64,372

Charlotte, NC $64,365

Saint Louis, MO $64,345

Springfield, IL $64,319

Elkhart, IN $64,305

York, PA $64,305

Gastonia, NC $64,299

Benton Harbor, MI $64,299

Beaumont, TX $64,259

Lorain, OH $64,245

Toledo, OH $64,219

Binghamton, NY $64,185

Rock Hill, SC $64,179

Rockford, IL $64,145

Fargo, ND $64,112

Elyria, OH $64,112

Flagstaff, AZ $64,065

Fort Lauderdale, FL $64,025

Miami, FL $63,986

Duluth, MN $63,879

Bangor, ME $63,792

Cedar Rapids, IA $63,719

Louisville, KY $63,686

Grand Rapids, MI $63,673

Hialeah, FL $63,666

Casper, WY $63,573

Scranton, PA $63,493

New Orleans, LA $63,473

Virginia Beach, VA $63,466

Akron, OH $63,433

Peoria, IL $63,346

Sarasota, FL $63,333

Green Bay, WI $63,286

Baton Rouge, LA $63,253

Charleston, SC $63,240

Nashville, TN $63,220

Jamestown, NY $63,206

Davenport, IA $63,206

Tucson, AZ $63,173

Cheyenne, WY $63,153

Saint Petersburg, FL $63,133

Tampa, FL $63,120

Omaha, NE $63,106

Port Arthur, TX $63,080

Evansville, IN $63,080

Bradenton, FL $63,053

Santa Fe, NM $62,933

Orlando, FL $62,867

Clearwater, FL $62,793

Canton, OH $62,654

La Crosse, WI $62,654

Grand Forks, ND $62,634

Albuquerque, NM $62,614

Tulsa, OK $62,614

Newport News, VA $62,607

High Point, NC $62,587

Ogden, UT $62,560

Corpus Christi, TX $62,507

Laramie, WY $62,467

Norfolk, VA $62,467

Rock Island, IL $62,427

Saginaw, MI $62,414

Jacksonville, FL $62,407

Salisbury, NC $62,394

Memphis, TN $62,381

Moline, IL $62,347

Fort Myers, FL $62,327

Waterloo, IA $62,241

Spartanburg, SC $62,174

Lincoln, NE $62,141

Fort Wayne, IN $62,128

Birmingham, AL $62,054

Cedar Falls, IA $62,041

Provo, UT $62,034

Springfield, OH $62,028

San Antonio, TX $62,014

Greensboro, NC $61,988

South Bend, IN $61,981

Winston Salem, NC $61,974

Boise, ID $61,954

Savannah, GA $61,908

Muskegon, MI $61,788

Lima, OH $61,708

Lake Charles, LA $61,681

Anderson, IN $61,668

Lexington, KY $61,648

Augusta, GA $61,628

Greenville, SC $61,628

Wichita, KS $61,568

Tuscaloosa, AL $61,568

Columbia, SC $61,508

Bloomington, IN $61,342

Roanoke, VA $61,302

Asheville, NC $61,215

Knoxville, TN $61,102

Shreveport, LA $61,095

Wilmington, NC $61,009

Frankfort, KY $60,882

Oklahoma City, OK $60,836

Chillicothe, OH $60,809

Longview, TX $60,802

Topeka, KS $60,782

Mobile, AL $60,682

Terre Haute, IN $60,656

Erie, PA $60,649

Altoona, PA $60,616

Melbourne, FL $60,596

Amarillo, TX $60,569

Killeen, TX $60,549

Fayetteville, AR $60,496

Sioux Falls, SD $60,449

Chattanooga, TN $60,409

Idaho Falls, ID $60,403

Gainesville, FL $60,263

Portsmouth, OH $60,230

Little Rock, AR $60,216

Lynchburg, VA $60,216

Lafayette, LA $60,190

Youngstown, OH $60,190

Temple, TX $60,163

Daytona Beach, FL $60,150

Clarksville, TN $60,143

Pensacola, FL $60,136

Hopkinsville, KY $59,936

Charleston, WV $59,930

Florence, SC $59,897

Sioux City, IA $59,857

Macon, GA $59,663

Tallahassee, FL $59,657

Fayetteville, NC $59,643

Waco, TX $59,630

Wichita Falls, TX $59,630

Pine Bluff, AR $59,604

Vincennes, IN $59,477

Lubbock, TX $59,450

Great Falls, MT $59,410

Alamogordo, NM $59,404

Abilene, TX $59,350

Rapid City, SD $59,264

Monroe, LA $59,264

Albany, GA $59,224

Huntington, WV $59,217

Jackson, MS $59,211

Greenville, MS $59,204

Parkersburg, WV $59,137

Montgomery, AL $59,124

Johnstown, PA $59,111

Springfield, MO $59,057

Biloxi, MS $59,024

Sumter, SC $58,884

Columbus, GA $58,878

Twin Falls, ID $58,838

Pascagoula, MS $58,751

Kingsport, TN $58,578

Gulfport, MS $58,558

Alexandria, LA $58,338

Fort Smith, AR $58,172

El Paso, TX $57,992

Helena, MT $57,905

Las Cruces, NM $57,692

Harlingen, TX $57,506

Pocatello, ID $57,446

Florence, AL $57,426

Brownsville, TX $57,412

Dothan, AL $57,306

Mcallen, TX $57,273

Columbus, MS $56,780

Altus, OK $56,473

Lawton, OK $56,347

Pierre, SD $56,107

What Skills Can Increase a Cad Designer'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 a Cad Designer'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	$76,586	15%
Products and Services	$71,258	7%
Presentation	$70,592	6%
Analysis	$69,926	5%
Leadership	$69,260	4%
Project Management	$69,260	4%

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How Education impacts a Cad Designer's Salary?

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

Cad Designer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cad Designer

No Diploma 0.8%

High School 24.3%

Associates 51.7%

Bachelors 21.3%

Masters 1.7%

Doctorate 0.2%

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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

Cad Designer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cad Designer'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 February 01, 2026

$60,704

Average $66,596/year

$71,761

$5,059

Average $5,550/month

$5,980

$1,167

Average $1,281/week

$1,380

$29

Average $32/hour

$35

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$71,761	$5,980	$1,380	$35
Average	$66,596	$5,550	$1,281	$32
25th Percentile	$60,704	$5,059	$1,167	$29

Salaries of jobs related to Cad Designer

Salary Trends for Cad Designer

Salaries for a Cad Designer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $64,791 in 2023 to around $63,472 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cad Designer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cad Designer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$64,791

2024

$64,098

2025

$63,472

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$64,791
2024	$64,098
2025	$63,472
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Cad Designer

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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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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