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

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

How does experience change a Draftsman's salary?

A Draftsman's salary grows with experience: starting around $85,219 for beginners, reaching about $87,032 at mid-level, and approach $93,081 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Draftsman?

Draftsman salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Draftsman roles are District of Columbia $98,986, California $98,610, Massachusetts $97,296. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Draftsman roles make?

Salaries for Draftsman level roles vary by specialization: Senior Draftsman: $94,533; Design Draftsman: $93,468; Mechanical Draftsman: $90,749; Revit Draftsman: $89,613; Engineering Draftsman: $89,164.

How do different companies affect a Draftsman's salary?

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

Draftsman Salary in the United States

How much does a Draftsman make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Draftsman in the United States is $89,402 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $43.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $103,885
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,474 to $96,983
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $74,255

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Draftsman Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$96,983	$8,082	$1,865	$47
Average	$89,402	$7,450	$1,719	$43
25th Percentile	$81,474	$6,789	$1,567	$39

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Draftsman Salaries

A Draftsman'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 Draftsman Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Draftsman'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): $85,219
Early Career (1-2 years): $85,824
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $87,032
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $91,074
Expert (over 8 years): $93,081

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Draftsman	$85,219
Intermediate Level Draftsman	$85,824
Senior Level Draftsman	$87,032
Specialist Level Draftsman	$91,074
Expert Level Draftsman	$93,081

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Draftsman 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 Draftsmans. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $98,986.
California: $98,610.
Massachusetts: $97,296.

District of Columbia $98,986 California $98,610 Massachusetts $97,296 Washington $96,938 New Jersey $96,903 Alaska $96,777 Connecticut $95,544 New York $95,043

Hawaii $93,443 Rhode Island $92,692 Maryland $92,182 Minnesota $91,485 Colorado $91,217 Illinois $91,127 Oregon $90,788 Delaware $90,537

New Hampshire $90,380 Virginia $90,028 Pennsylvania $88,999 Nevada $88,481 North Dakota $88,311 Michigan $88,043 Wisconsin $87,945 Vermont $87,748

Texas $87,203 Maine $87,167 Arizona $87,113 Ohio $87,051 Georgia $86,228 Indiana $85,817 Wyoming $85,736 Utah $85,611

Iowa $85,558 Kansas $85,128 Louisiana $85,003 North Carolina $84,959 Missouri $84,941 Florida $84,592 Montana $84,404 Nebraska $84,225

Kentucky $84,127 South Carolina $83,769 Tennessee $83,546 Idaho $83,457 New Mexico $82,804 Oklahoma $82,661 Alabama $82,133 South Dakota $81,248

Arkansas $80,766 West Virginia $80,506 Mississippi $79,729

Top Paying Cities for Draftsmans

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: $112,762
San Francisco: $111,654
Oakland: $109,177

San Jose, CA $112,762

San Francisco, CA $111,654

Oakland, CA $109,177

New York, NY $103,608

Queens Village, NY $102,937

Paramus, NJ $102,222

Passaic, NJ $102,133

Bergenfield, NJ $102,043

Stamford, CT $101,909

Huntington, NY $101,820

Newark, NJ $101,239

Bridgeport, CT $101,060

New Brunswick, NJ $100,765

Vallejo, CA $100,577

Middlesex, NJ $100,523

Somerset, NJ $100,443

Petaluma, CA $100,237

Santa Cruz, CA $99,889

Boston, MA $99,710

Monterey, CA $99,263

Fairbanks, AK $99,200

Los Angeles, CA $99,030

Washington, DC $98,986

Seattle, WA $98,825

Santa Rosa, CA $98,807

Juneau, AK $98,548

Orange, CA $98,253

Anchorage, AK $98,092

Anaheim, CA $98,029

Santa Ana, CA $97,895

Nassau, NY $97,841

Long Beach, CA $97,806

Danbury, CT $97,779

Santa Maria, CA $97,475

Everett, WA $97,457

Bremerton, WA $97,019

Trenton, NJ $96,849

Sacramento, CA $96,813

San Diego, CA $96,769

Brockton, MA $96,733

Tacoma, WA $96,697

Santa Barbara, CA $96,572

Lowell, MA $96,214

New Suffolk, NY $96,178

Nashua, NH $96,071

Lompoc, CA $95,928

Ventura, CA $95,839

Stockton, CA $95,812

New Haven, CT $95,633

Atlantic City, NJ $95,401

Hartford, CT $95,204

Modesto, CA $95,159

Poughkeepsie, NY $94,963

New Britain, CT $94,918

Olympia, WA $94,793

Kennewick, WA $94,793

New London, CT $94,775

Norwich, CT $94,748

Lawrence, MA $94,703

Bakersfield, CA $94,453

Riverside, CA $94,328

New Bedford, MA $94,328

Richland, WA $94,238

Portsmouth, NH $94,167

Vineland, NJ $94,149

San Bernardino, CA $94,078

Boulder, CO $93,827

Worcester, MA $93,756

Portland, OR $93,675

Saint Paul, MN $93,568

Minneapolis, MN $93,568

Philadelphia, PA $93,443

Honolulu, HI $92,969

Springfield, MA $92,656

Providence, RI $92,647

Chicago, IL $92,388

Bellingham, WA $92,281

Baltimore, MD $92,182

Chico, CA $91,959

Wilmington, DE $91,807

Pittsfield, MA $91,717

Manchester, NH $91,547

Spokane, WA $91,154

Denver, CO $91,145

Albany, NY $90,725

Troy, NY $90,689

Schenectady, NY $90,501

Burlington, VT $90,305

Portland, ME $89,992

Salem, OR $89,920

Yakima, WA $89,902

Ann Arbor, MI $89,876

Rochester, MN $89,625

Fresno, CA $89,581

Reno, NV $89,581

Milwaukee, WI $89,500

Detroit, MI $89,411

Allentown, PA $89,384

Carson City, NV $89,375

Houston, TX $89,241

Colorado Springs, CO $89,232

Syracuse, NY $89,187

Eugene, OR $89,017

Bismarck, ND $88,910

Gary, IN $88,910

Galveston, TX $88,910

Springfield, OR $88,839

Medford, OR $88,624

Fort Collins, CO $88,588

Austin, TX $88,517

Mesa, AZ $88,329

Phoenix, AZ $88,311

Dallas, TX $88,284

Reading, PA $88,231

Saint Cloud, MN $88,195

Concord, NH $88,114

Madison, WI $88,079

Utica, NY $87,837

Raleigh, NC $87,766

Las Vegas, NV $87,757

Rochester, NY $87,694

Des Moines, IA $87,685

Atlanta, GA $87,542

Battle Creek, MI $87,515

Salt Lake City, UT $87,489

Lancaster, PA $87,354

Champaign, IL $87,337

Harrisburg, PA $87,229

Durham, NC $87,149

Kansas City, MO $87,140

Kansas City, KS $87,122

Fort Worth, TX $87,113

Boca Raton, FL $87,077

Cleveland, OH $87,068

Columbus, OH $87,051

Pittsburgh, PA $87,042

Richmond, VA $87,006

Indianapolis, IN $86,988

Cincinnati, OH $86,872

Petersburg, VA $86,738

Billings, MT $86,541

Lansing, MI $86,541

Huntsville, AL $86,541

Lebanon, PA $86,532

Dayton, OH $86,523

Pueblo, CO $86,523

Appleton, WI $86,496

Buffalo, NY $86,460

Racine, WI $86,416

Charlotte, NC $86,407

Saint Louis, MO $86,380

Springfield, IL $86,344

Elkhart, IN $86,326

York, PA $86,326

Gastonia, NC $86,317

Benton Harbor, MI $86,317

Beaumont, TX $86,264

Lorain, OH $86,246

Toledo, OH $86,210

Binghamton, NY $86,165

Rock Hill, SC $86,157

Rockford, IL $86,112

Fargo, ND $86,067

Elyria, OH $86,067

Flagstaff, AZ $86,005

Fort Lauderdale, FL $85,951

Miami, FL $85,897

Duluth, MN $85,754

Bangor, ME $85,638

Cedar Rapids, IA $85,540

Louisville, KY $85,495

Grand Rapids, MI $85,477

Hialeah, FL $85,468

Casper, WY $85,343

Scranton, PA $85,236

New Orleans, LA $85,209

Virginia Beach, VA $85,200

Akron, OH $85,155

Peoria, IL $85,039

Sarasota, FL $85,021

Green Bay, WI $84,959

Baton Rouge, LA $84,914

Charleston, SC $84,896

Nashville, TN $84,869

Jamestown, NY $84,851

Davenport, IA $84,851

Tucson, AZ $84,807

Cheyenne, WY $84,780

Saint Petersburg, FL $84,753

Tampa, FL $84,735

Omaha, NE $84,717

Port Arthur, TX $84,681

Evansville, IN $84,681

Bradenton, FL $84,646

Santa Fe, NM $84,485

Orlando, FL $84,395

Clearwater, FL $84,297

Canton, OH $84,109

La Crosse, WI $84,109

Grand Forks, ND $84,082

Albuquerque, NM $84,056

Tulsa, OK $84,056

Newport News, VA $84,047

High Point, NC $84,020

Ogden, UT $83,984

Corpus Christi, TX $83,913

Laramie, WY $83,859

Norfolk, VA $83,859

Rock Island, IL $83,805

Saginaw, MI $83,787

Jacksonville, FL $83,778

Salisbury, NC $83,761

Memphis, TN $83,743

Moline, IL $83,698

Fort Myers, FL $83,671

Waterloo, IA $83,555

Spartanburg, SC $83,466

Lincoln, NE $83,421

Fort Wayne, IN $83,403

Birmingham, AL $83,305

Cedar Falls, IA $83,287

Provo, UT $83,278

Springfield, OH $83,269

San Antonio, TX $83,251

Greensboro, NC $83,215

South Bend, IN $83,206

Winston Salem, NC $83,197

Boise, ID $83,170

Savannah, GA $83,108

Muskegon, MI $82,947

Lima, OH $82,840

Lake Charles, LA $82,804

Anderson, IN $82,786

Lexington, KY $82,759

Augusta, GA $82,732

Greenville, SC $82,732

Wichita, KS $82,652

Tuscaloosa, AL $82,652

Columbia, SC $82,572

Bloomington, IN $82,348

Roanoke, VA $82,294

Asheville, NC $82,178

Knoxville, TN $82,026

Shreveport, LA $82,017

Wilmington, NC $81,901

Frankfort, KY $81,731

Oklahoma City, OK $81,669

Chillicothe, OH $81,633

Longview, TX $81,624

Topeka, KS $81,597

Mobile, AL $81,463

Terre Haute, IN $81,427

Erie, PA $81,418

Altoona, PA $81,374

Melbourne, FL $81,347

Amarillo, TX $81,311

Killeen, TX $81,284

Fayetteville, AR $81,213

Sioux Falls, SD $81,150

Chattanooga, TN $81,096

Idaho Falls, ID $81,087

Gainesville, FL $80,900

Portsmouth, OH $80,855

Little Rock, AR $80,837

Lynchburg, VA $80,837

Lafayette, LA $80,801

Youngstown, OH $80,801

Temple, TX $80,766

Daytona Beach, FL $80,748

Clarksville, TN $80,739

Pensacola, FL $80,730

Hopkinsville, KY $80,462

Charleston, WV $80,453

Florence, SC $80,408

Sioux City, IA $80,354

Macon, GA $80,095

Tallahassee, FL $80,086

Fayetteville, NC $80,068

Waco, TX $80,050

Wichita Falls, TX $80,050

Pine Bluff, AR $80,015

Vincennes, IN $79,845

Lubbock, TX $79,809

Great Falls, MT $79,755

Alamogordo, NM $79,746

Abilene, TX $79,675

Rapid City, SD $79,559

Monroe, LA $79,559

Albany, GA $79,505

Huntington, WV $79,496

Jackson, MS $79,487

Greenville, MS $79,478

Parkersburg, WV $79,389

Montgomery, AL $79,371

Johnstown, PA $79,353

Springfield, MO $79,282

Biloxi, MS $79,237

Sumter, SC $79,049

Columbus, GA $79,040

Twin Falls, ID $78,986

Pascagoula, MS $78,870

Kingsport, TN $78,638

Gulfport, MS $78,611

Alexandria, LA $78,316

Fort Smith, AR $78,092

El Paso, TX $77,851

Helena, MT $77,735

Las Cruces, NM $77,449

Harlingen, TX $77,198

Pocatello, ID $77,118

Florence, AL $77,091

Brownsville, TX $77,073

Dothan, AL $76,930

Mcallen, TX $76,886

Columbus, MS $76,224

Altus, OK $75,813

Lawton, OK $75,643

Pierre, SD $75,321

What Skills Can Increase a Draftsman'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 Draftsman'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	$96,554	8%
Innovation	$94,766	6%
Analysis	$93,872	5%
Leadership	$93,872	5%
Commitment	$92,978	4%
Collaboration	$92,978	4%

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How Education impacts a Draftsman's Salary?

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

Draftsman Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Draftsman

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

Draftsman Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Draftsman'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 January 01, 2026

$81,474

Average $89,402/year

$96,983

$6,789

Average $7,450/month

$8,082

$1,567

Average $1,719/week

$1,865

$39

Average $43/hour

$47

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$96,983	$8,082	$1,865	$47
Average	$89,402	$7,450	$1,719	$43
25th Percentile	$81,474	$6,789	$1,567	$39

Salaries of jobs related to Draftsman

Salary Trends for Draftsman

Salaries for a Draftsman can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $96,654 in 2023 to around $94,412 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Draftsman salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Draftsman Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$96,654

2024

$95,586

2025

$94,412

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$96,654
2024	$95,586
2025	$94,412
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Draftsman

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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