What are the main factors that influence a CAD Engineer'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 Engineer's salary?

A CAD Engineer's salary grows with experience: a CAD Engineer (0-2 years)earns $64,701, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $73,663, a CAD Drafter III (4-7 years)earns $89,191, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $115,278, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $135,068,

What are the highest paying states for a CAD Engineer?

CAD Engineer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for CAD Engineer roles are District of Columbia $72,046, California $71,773, Massachusetts $70,816. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of CAD Engineer roles make?

Salaries for CAD Engineer level roles vary by specialization: Assistant CAD Engineer: $130,959; Junior CAD Engineer: $106,433; CAD Coordinator: $90,494; Auto CAD Engineer: $88,927; CAD Programmer: $86,364.

How do different companies affect a CAD Engineer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for CAD Engineer 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 Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a CAD Engineer make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a CAD Engineer in the United States is $65,071 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,675
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59,302 to $70,098
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $54,049

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CAD Engineer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,098	$5,842	$1,348	$34
Average	$65,071	$5,423	$1,251	$31
25th Percentile	$59,302	$4,942	$1,140	$29

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Key Factors That Influence CAD Engineer Salaries

A CAD Engineer'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 Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a CAD Engineer'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): $64,701
Early Career (1-2 years): $73,663
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $89,191
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $115,278
Expert (over 8 years): $135,068

Levels	Salary
CAD Engin... Level CAD Engineer	$64,701
CAD Draft... Level CAD Engineer	$73,663
CAD Draft... Level CAD Engineer	$89,191
CAD Draft... Level CAD Engineer	$115,278
CAD Draft... Level CAD Engineer	$135,068

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What Am I Worth?

How Do CAD Engineer 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 Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $72,046.
California: $71,773.
Massachusetts: $70,816.

District of Columbia $72,046 California $71,773 Massachusetts $70,816 Washington $70,556 New Jersey $70,530 Alaska $70,439 Connecticut $69,541 New York $69,177

Hawaii $68,012 Rhode Island $67,465 Maryland $67,094 Minnesota $66,587 Colorado $66,392 Illinois $66,327 Oregon $66,079 Delaware $65,897

New Hampshire $65,783 Virginia $65,526 Pennsylvania $64,778 Nevada $64,400 North Dakota $64,277 Michigan $64,082 Wisconsin $64,010 Vermont $63,867

Texas $63,470 Maine $63,444 Arizona $63,405 Ohio $63,359 Georgia $62,761 Indiana $62,461 Wyoming $62,403 Utah $62,312

Iowa $62,273 Kansas $61,960 Louisiana $61,869 North Carolina $61,837 Missouri $61,824 Florida $61,570 Montana $61,433 Nebraska $61,303

Kentucky $61,232 South Carolina $60,971 Tennessee $60,809 Idaho $60,743 New Mexico $60,268 Oklahoma $60,164 Alabama $59,780 South Dakota $59,136

Arkansas $58,785 West Virginia $58,596 Mississippi $58,030

Top Paying Cities for CAD Engineers

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: $82,074
San Francisco: $81,175
Oakland: $79,464

San Jose, CA $82,074

San Francisco, CA $81,175

Oakland, CA $79,464

New York, NY $74,922

Paramus, NJ $74,011

Queens Village, NY $74,008

Passaic, NJ $73,946

Bergenfield, NJ $73,940

Stamford, CT $73,797

Huntington, NY $73,770

Newark, NJ $73,289

Bridgeport, CT $73,152

Vallejo, CA $73,022

New Brunswick, NJ $72,996

Petaluma, CA $72,957

Middlesex, NJ $72,834

Somerset, NJ $72,788

Santa Cruz, CA $72,703

Boston, MA $72,307

Monterey, CA $72,078

Seattle, WA $71,929

Santa Rosa, CA $71,916

Los Angeles, CA $71,897

Juneau, AK $71,727

Washington, DC $71,656

Orange, CA $71,424

Santa Ana, CA $71,252

Long Beach, CA $71,187

Anaheim, CA $71,174

Anchorage, AK $71,142

Santa Maria, CA $70,947

Everett, WA $70,934

Danbury, CT $70,705

Bremerton, WA $70,615

Tacoma, WA $70,380

New Suffolk, NY $70,379

Sacramento, CA $70,361

Santa Barbara, CA $70,289

Trenton, NJ $70,218

San Diego, CA $70,218

Brockton, MA $70,146

Fairbanks, AK $69,987

Lompoc, CA $69,821

Lowell, MA $69,768

Ventura, CA $69,756

Nashua, NH $69,743

Stockton, CA $69,736

Modesto, CA $69,261

Poughkeepsie, NY $69,118

Olympia, WA $68,994

Kennewick, WA $68,994

New Haven, CT $68,968

Lawrence, MA $68,734

Hartford, CT $68,669

Riverside, CA $68,656

New Bedford, MA $68,591

Richland, WA $68,591

Bakersfield, CA $68,500

San Bernardino, CA $68,474

New Britain, CT $68,467

Atlantic City, NJ $68,467

New London, CT $68,441

Norwich, CT $68,422

Portsmouth, NH $68,409

Boulder, CO $68,271

Portland, OR $68,181

Worcester, MA $68,175

Minneapolis, MN $67,973

Philadelphia, PA $67,882

Honolulu, HI $67,667

Saint Paul, MN $67,636

Vineland, NJ $67,621

Providence, RI $67,433

Chicago, IL $67,244

Bellingham, WA $67,166

Springfield, MA $67,114

Baltimore, MD $67,094

Chico, CA $66,932

Pittsfield, MA $66,756

Manchester, NH $66,632

Spokane, WA $66,346

Denver, CO $66,340

Albany, NY $66,034

Troy, NY $66,008

Nassau, NY $65,938

Schenectady, NY $65,871

Wilmington, DE $65,819

Burlington, VT $65,728

Salem, OR $65,702

Portland, ME $65,500

Yakima, WA $65,435

Rochester, MN $65,233

Reno, NV $65,201

Fresno, CA $65,201

Milwaukee, WI $65,142

Detroit, MI $65,077

Ann Arbor, MI $65,066

Allentown, PA $65,058

Colorado Springs, CO $64,947

Syracuse, NY $64,915

Carson City, NV $64,915

Houston, TX $64,823

Eugene, OR $64,791

Gary, IN $64,713

Springfield, OR $64,661

Bismarck, ND $64,648

Galveston, TX $64,602

Medford, OR $64,505

Fort Collins, CO $64,479

Concord, NH $64,446

Austin, TX $64,427

Mesa, AZ $64,290

Reading, PA $64,283

Phoenix, AZ $64,277

Dallas, TX $64,257

Saint Cloud, MN $64,195

Madison, WI $64,108

Utica, NY $63,932

Rochester, NY $63,828

Des Moines, IA $63,821

Raleigh, NC $63,815

Atlanta, GA $63,717

Battle Creek, MI $63,698

Salt Lake City, UT $63,678

Lancaster, PA $63,581

Harrisburg, PA $63,489

Kansas City, MO $63,424

Champaign, IL $63,411

Kansas City, KS $63,411

Fort Worth, TX $63,405

Columbus, OH $63,394

Boca Raton, FL $63,379

Pittsburgh, PA $63,353

Richmond, VA $63,327

Indianapolis, IN $63,314

Cleveland, OH $63,307

Las Vegas, NV $63,229

Cincinnati, OH $63,229

Petersburg, VA $63,132

Huntsville, AL $63,034

Lansing, MI $62,990

Lebanon, PA $62,982

Pueblo, CO $62,975

Appleton, WI $62,956

Buffalo, NY $62,930

Dayton, OH $62,910

Racine, WI $62,897

Charlotte, NC $62,891

Saint Louis, MO $62,871

York, PA $62,832

Elkhart, IN $62,832

Gastonia, NC $62,820

Billings, MT $62,804

Beaumont, TX $62,787

Lorain, OH $62,774

Benton Harbor, MI $62,761

Toledo, OH $62,748

Binghamton, NY $62,715

Rock Hill, SC $62,709

Rockford, IL $62,676

Springfield, IL $62,650

Elyria, OH $62,644

Fargo, ND $62,644

Flagstaff, AZ $62,598

Fort Lauderdale, FL $62,559

Duluth, MN $62,520

Miami, FL $62,520

Cheyenne, WY $62,474

Grand Forks, ND $62,474

Bangor, ME $62,331

Cedar Rapids, IA $62,260

Durham, NC $62,232

Louisville, KY $62,227

Grand Rapids, MI $62,214

Hialeah, FL $62,208

Casper, WY $62,116

Scranton, PA $62,038

New Orleans, LA $62,019

Virginia Beach, VA $62,012

Akron, OH $61,980

Peoria, IL $61,895

Sarasota, FL $61,882

Nashville, TN $61,837

Omaha, NE $61,837

Green Bay, WI $61,837

Baton Rouge, LA $61,804

Charleston, SC $61,791

Jamestown, NY $61,759

Davenport, IA $61,759

Tucson, AZ $61,726

Saint Petersburg, FL $61,687

Tampa, FL $61,674

Evansville, IN $61,635

Port Arthur, TX $61,635

Bradenton, FL $61,609

Santa Fe, NM $61,492

Orlando, FL $61,375

Clearwater, FL $61,355

Canton, OH $61,219

La Crosse, WI $61,219

Albuquerque, NM $61,179

Newport News, VA $61,173

High Point, NC $61,153

Ogden, UT $61,127

Corpus Christi, TX $61,075

Norfolk, VA $61,036

Laramie, WY $61,036

Rock Island, IL $60,997

Saginaw, MI $60,984

Jacksonville, FL $60,978

Salisbury, NC $60,965

Boise, ID $60,952

Moline, IL $60,919

Fort Myers, FL $60,900

Memphis, TN $60,887

Tulsa, OK $60,854

Waterloo, IA $60,815

Spartanburg, SC $60,750

Lincoln, NE $60,717

Fort Wayne, IN $60,704

Provo, UT $60,698

Cedar Falls, IA $60,620

San Antonio, TX $60,594

Greensboro, NC $60,568

South Bend, IN $60,561

Savannah, GA $60,490

Muskegon, MI $60,464

Birmingham, AL $60,457

Winston Salem, NC $60,425

Lake Charles, LA $60,268

Anderson, IN $60,255

Lexington, KY $60,236

Augusta, GA $60,216

Greenville, SC $60,216

Lima, OH $60,164

Wichita, KS $60,158

Tuscaloosa, AL $60,158

Columbia, SC $60,099

Springfield, OH $60,086

Asheville, NC $59,982

Bloomington, IN $59,937

Knoxville, TN $59,702

Shreveport, LA $59,696

Wilmington, NC $59,611

Roanoke, VA $59,611

Topeka, KS $59,494

Frankfort, KY $59,487

Oklahoma City, OK $59,442

Chillicothe, OH $59,416

Longview, TX $59,410

Melbourne, FL $59,403

Sioux Falls, SD $59,299

Mobile, AL $59,292

Terre Haute, IN $59,266

Altoona, PA $59,227

Amarillo, TX $59,182

Killeen, TX $59,162

Fayetteville, AR $59,110

Chattanooga, TN $59,091

Sioux City, IA $59,032

Idaho Falls, ID $59,019

Lynchburg, VA $58,967

Gainesville, FL $58,882

Portsmouth, OH $58,850

Little Rock, AR $58,837

Lafayette, LA $58,811

Youngstown, OH $58,811

Daytona Beach, FL $58,772

Clarksville, TN $58,765

Pensacola, FL $58,759

Temple, TX $58,754

Hopkinsville, KY $58,564

Erie, PA $58,551

Florence, SC $58,525

Charleston, WV $58,420

Great Falls, MT $58,388

Macon, GA $58,297

Tallahassee, FL $58,290

Fayetteville, NC $58,277

Waco, TX $58,264

Helena, MT $58,219

Pine Bluff, AR $58,194

Vincennes, IN $58,115

Lubbock, TX $58,089

Alamogordo, NM $58,050

Twin Falls, ID $57,991

Rapid City, SD $57,971

Jackson, MS $57,854

Huntington, WV $57,850

Greenville, MS $57,848

Parkersburg, WV $57,781

Montgomery, AL $57,770

Wichita Falls, TX $57,705

Springfield, MO $57,705

Biloxi, MS $57,672

Monroe, LA $57,607

Johnstown, PA $57,562

Sumter, SC $57,536

Columbus, GA $57,529

Pascagoula, MS $57,405

Abilene, TX $57,405

Kingsport, TN $57,236

Albany, GA $57,236

Gulfport, MS $57,217

Alexandria, LA $57,002

Fort Smith, AR $56,839

El Paso, TX $56,664

Las Cruces, NM $56,371

Harlingen, TX $56,205

Pocatello, ID $56,195

Florence, AL $56,110

Brownsville, TX $56,097

Mcallen, TX $55,961

Dothan, AL $55,870

Columbus, MS $55,483

Altus, OK $55,180

Lawton, OK $55,056

Pierre, SD $54,822

What Skills Can Increase a CAD Engineer'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 Engineer'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	$74,831	15%
Products and Services	$69,626	7%
Presentation	$68,975	6%
Analysis	$68,324	5%
Leadership	$67,674	4%
Project Management	$67,674	4%

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How Education impacts a CAD Engineer's Salary?

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

CAD Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for CAD Engineer

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

CAD Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CAD Engineer'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

$59,302

Average $65,071/year

$70,098

$4,942

Average $5,423/month

$5,842

$1,140

Average $1,251/week

$1,348

$29

Average $31/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,098	$5,842	$1,348	$34
Average	$65,071	$5,423	$1,251	$31
25th Percentile	$59,302	$4,942	$1,140	$29

Salaries of jobs related to CAD Engineer

Salary Trends for CAD Engineer

Salaries for a CAD Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $63,309 in 2023 to around $62,019 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of CAD Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of CAD Engineer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$63,309

2024

$62,631

2025

$62,019

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$63,309
2024	$62,631
2025	$62,019
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for CAD Engineer

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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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