What are the main factors that influence an Architectural Draftsperson's salary?

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

How does experience change an Architectural Draftsperson's salary?

An Architectural Draftsperson's salary grows with experience: starting around $89,157 for beginners, reaching about $91,053 at mid-level, and approach $97,381 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for an Architectural Draftsperson?

Architectural Draftsperson salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Architectural Draftsperson roles are District of Columbia $103,559, California $103,166, Massachusetts $101,791. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Architectural Draftsperson roles make?

Salaries for Architectural Draftsperson level roles vary by specialization: Architectural Manager: $176,319; Architectural Coordinator: $97,734; Architectural Designer: $91,955; Draftsperson: $90,145; Architectural Historian: $81,904.

How do different companies affect an Architectural Draftsperson's salary?

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

Architectural Draftsperson Salary in the United States

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

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Architectural Draftsperson in the United States is $93,532 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $45.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $108,685
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $85,238 to $101,464
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $77,686

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Architectural Draftsperson Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$101,464	$8,455	$1,951	$49
Average	$93,532	$7,794	$1,799	$45
25th Percentile	$85,238	$7,103	$1,639	$41

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Key Factors That Influence Architectural Draftsperson Salaries

An Architectural Draftsperson'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 Draftsperson Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Architectural Draftsperson'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): $89,157
Early Career (1-2 years): $89,789
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,053
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $95,282
Expert (over 8 years): $97,381

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Architectural Draftsperson	$89,157
Intermediate Level Architectural Draftsperson	$89,789
Senior Level Architectural Draftsperson	$91,053
Specialist Level Architectural Draftsperson	$95,282
Expert Level Architectural Draftsperson	$97,381

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Architectural Draftsperson 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 Architectural Draftspersons. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $103,559.
California: $103,166.
Massachusetts: $101,791.

District of Columbia $103,559 California $103,166 Massachusetts $101,791 Washington $101,417 New Jersey $101,380 Alaska $101,249 Connecticut $99,958 New York $99,434

Hawaii $97,760 Rhode Island $96,974 Maryland $96,441 Minnesota $95,712 Colorado $95,431 Illinois $95,337 Oregon $94,982 Delaware $94,720

New Hampshire $94,556 Virginia $94,187 Pennsylvania $93,111 Nevada $92,569 North Dakota $92,391 Michigan $92,111 Wisconsin $92,008 Vermont $91,802

Texas $91,231 Maine $91,194 Arizona $91,138 Ohio $91,072 Georgia $90,212 Indiana $89,782 Wyoming $89,697 Utah $89,567

Iowa $89,510 Kansas $89,061 Louisiana $88,931 North Carolina $88,884 Missouri $88,865 Florida $88,500 Montana $88,304 Nebraska $88,117

Kentucky $88,014 South Carolina $87,640 Tennessee $87,406 Idaho $87,312 New Mexico $86,630 Oklahoma $86,480 Alabama $85,928 South Dakota $85,002

Arkansas $84,497 West Virginia $84,226 Mississippi $83,412

Top Paying Cities for Architectural Draftspersons

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: $117,972
San Francisco: $116,812
Oakland: $114,222

San Jose, CA $117,972

San Francisco, CA $116,812

Oakland, CA $114,222

New York, NY $108,395

Queens Village, NY $107,693

Paramus, NJ $106,945

Passaic, NJ $106,851

Bergenfield, NJ $106,758

Stamford, CT $106,617

Huntington, NY $106,524

Newark, NJ $105,916

Bridgeport, CT $105,729

New Brunswick, NJ $105,420

Vallejo, CA $105,224

Middlesex, NJ $105,168

Somerset, NJ $105,084

Petaluma, CA $104,868

Santa Cruz, CA $104,504

Boston, MA $104,317

Monterey, CA $103,849

Fairbanks, AK $103,783

Los Angeles, CA $103,606

Washington, DC $103,559

Seattle, WA $103,391

Santa Rosa, CA $103,372

Juneau, AK $103,101

Orange, CA $102,792

Anchorage, AK $102,624

Anaheim, CA $102,558

Santa Ana, CA $102,418

Nassau, NY $102,362

Long Beach, CA $102,324

Danbury, CT $102,296

Santa Maria, CA $101,978

Everett, WA $101,960

Bremerton, WA $101,501

Trenton, NJ $101,324

Sacramento, CA $101,286

San Diego, CA $101,239

Brockton, MA $101,202

Tacoma, WA $101,165

Santa Barbara, CA $101,034

Lowell, MA $100,659

New Suffolk, NY $100,622

Nashua, NH $100,510

Lompoc, CA $100,360

Ventura, CA $100,267

Stockton, CA $100,239

New Haven, CT $100,052

Atlantic City, NJ $99,808

Hartford, CT $99,603

Modesto, CA $99,556

Poughkeepsie, NY $99,350

New Britain, CT $99,303

Olympia, WA $99,172

Kennewick, WA $99,172

New London, CT $99,154

Norwich, CT $99,126

Lawrence, MA $99,079

Bakersfield, CA $98,817

Riverside, CA $98,686

New Bedford, MA $98,686

Richland, WA $98,592

Portsmouth, NH $98,518

Vineland, NJ $98,499

San Bernardino, CA $98,424

Boulder, CO $98,162

Worcester, MA $98,087

Portland, OR $98,003

Saint Paul, MN $97,891

Minneapolis, MN $97,891

Philadelphia, PA $97,760

Honolulu, HI $97,264

Springfield, MA $96,937

Providence, RI $96,928

Chicago, IL $96,656

Bellingham, WA $96,544

Baltimore, MD $96,441

Chico, CA $96,207

Wilmington, DE $96,048

Pittsfield, MA $95,955

Manchester, NH $95,777

Spokane, WA $95,366

Denver, CO $95,356

Albany, NY $94,917

Troy, NY $94,879

Schenectady, NY $94,683

Burlington, VT $94,477

Portland, ME $94,150

Salem, OR $94,075

Yakima, WA $94,056

Ann Arbor, MI $94,028

Rochester, MN $93,766

Fresno, CA $93,719

Reno, NV $93,719

Milwaukee, WI $93,635

Detroit, MI $93,542

Allentown, PA $93,514

Carson City, NV $93,504

Houston, TX $93,364

Colorado Springs, CO $93,355

Syracuse, NY $93,308

Eugene, OR $93,130

Bismarck, ND $93,018

Gary, IN $93,018

Galveston, TX $93,018

Springfield, OR $92,943

Medford, OR $92,719

Fort Collins, CO $92,681

Austin, TX $92,606

Mesa, AZ $92,410

Phoenix, AZ $92,391

Dallas, TX $92,363

Reading, PA $92,307

Saint Cloud, MN $92,270

Concord, NH $92,185

Madison, WI $92,148

Utica, NY $91,895

Raleigh, NC $91,821

Las Vegas, NV $91,811

Rochester, NY $91,746

Des Moines, IA $91,736

Atlanta, GA $91,587

Battle Creek, MI $91,559

Salt Lake City, UT $91,531

Lancaster, PA $91,390

Champaign, IL $91,372

Harrisburg, PA $91,259

Durham, NC $91,175

Kansas City, MO $91,166

Kansas City, KS $91,147

Fort Worth, TX $91,138

Boca Raton, FL $91,100

Cleveland, OH $91,091

Columbus, OH $91,072

Pittsburgh, PA $91,063

Richmond, VA $91,026

Indianapolis, IN $91,007

Cincinnati, OH $90,885

Petersburg, VA $90,745

Billings, MT $90,539

Lansing, MI $90,539

Huntsville, AL $90,539

Lebanon, PA $90,530

Dayton, OH $90,521

Pueblo, CO $90,521

Appleton, WI $90,493

Buffalo, NY $90,455

Racine, WI $90,408

Charlotte, NC $90,399

Saint Louis, MO $90,371

Springfield, IL $90,333

Elkhart, IN $90,315

York, PA $90,315

Gastonia, NC $90,305

Benton Harbor, MI $90,305

Beaumont, TX $90,249

Lorain, OH $90,231

Toledo, OH $90,193

Binghamton, NY $90,146

Rock Hill, SC $90,137

Rockford, IL $90,090

Fargo, ND $90,044

Elyria, OH $90,044

Flagstaff, AZ $89,978

Fort Lauderdale, FL $89,922

Miami, FL $89,866

Duluth, MN $89,716

Bangor, ME $89,595

Cedar Rapids, IA $89,492

Louisville, KY $89,445

Grand Rapids, MI $89,426

Hialeah, FL $89,417

Casper, WY $89,286

Scranton, PA $89,174

New Orleans, LA $89,146

Virginia Beach, VA $89,136

Akron, OH $89,090

Peoria, IL $88,968

Sarasota, FL $88,949

Green Bay, WI $88,884

Baton Rouge, LA $88,837

Charleston, SC $88,818

Nashville, TN $88,790

Jamestown, NY $88,772

Davenport, IA $88,772

Tucson, AZ $88,725

Cheyenne, WY $88,697

Saint Petersburg, FL $88,669

Tampa, FL $88,650

Omaha, NE $88,631

Port Arthur, TX $88,594

Evansville, IN $88,594

Bradenton, FL $88,556

Santa Fe, NM $88,388

Orlando, FL $88,294

Clearwater, FL $88,192

Canton, OH $87,995

La Crosse, WI $87,995

Grand Forks, ND $87,967

Albuquerque, NM $87,939

Tulsa, OK $87,939

Newport News, VA $87,930

High Point, NC $87,902

Ogden, UT $87,864

Corpus Christi, TX $87,789

Laramie, WY $87,733

Norfolk, VA $87,733

Rock Island, IL $87,677

Saginaw, MI $87,658

Jacksonville, FL $87,649

Salisbury, NC $87,630

Memphis, TN $87,612

Moline, IL $87,565

Fort Myers, FL $87,537

Waterloo, IA $87,415

Spartanburg, SC $87,322

Lincoln, NE $87,275

Fort Wayne, IN $87,256

Birmingham, AL $87,153

Cedar Falls, IA $87,135

Provo, UT $87,125

Springfield, OH $87,116

San Antonio, TX $87,097

Greensboro, NC $87,060

South Bend, IN $87,051

Winston Salem, NC $87,041

Boise, ID $87,013

Savannah, GA $86,948

Muskegon, MI $86,779

Lima, OH $86,667

Lake Charles, LA $86,630

Anderson, IN $86,611

Lexington, KY $86,583

Augusta, GA $86,555

Greenville, SC $86,555

Wichita, KS $86,471

Tuscaloosa, AL $86,471

Columbia, SC $86,386

Bloomington, IN $86,153

Roanoke, VA $86,096

Asheville, NC $85,975

Knoxville, TN $85,816

Shreveport, LA $85,807

Wilmington, NC $85,685

Frankfort, KY $85,507

Oklahoma City, OK $85,442

Chillicothe, OH $85,404

Longview, TX $85,395

Topeka, KS $85,367

Mobile, AL $85,227

Terre Haute, IN $85,189

Erie, PA $85,180

Altoona, PA $85,133

Melbourne, FL $85,105

Amarillo, TX $85,068

Killeen, TX $85,040

Fayetteville, AR $84,965

Sioux Falls, SD $84,899

Chattanooga, TN $84,843

Idaho Falls, ID $84,834

Gainesville, FL $84,637

Portsmouth, OH $84,591

Little Rock, AR $84,572

Lynchburg, VA $84,572

Lafayette, LA $84,534

Youngstown, OH $84,534

Temple, TX $84,497

Daytona Beach, FL $84,478

Clarksville, TN $84,469

Pensacola, FL $84,460

Hopkinsville, KY $84,179

Charleston, WV $84,170

Florence, SC $84,123

Sioux City, IA $84,067

Macon, GA $83,796

Tallahassee, FL $83,786

Fayetteville, NC $83,768

Waco, TX $83,749

Wichita Falls, TX $83,749

Pine Bluff, AR $83,711

Vincennes, IN $83,534

Lubbock, TX $83,496

Great Falls, MT $83,440

Alamogordo, NM $83,431

Abilene, TX $83,356

Rapid City, SD $83,234

Monroe, LA $83,234

Albany, GA $83,178

Huntington, WV $83,169

Jackson, MS $83,160

Greenville, MS $83,150

Parkersburg, WV $83,057

Montgomery, AL $83,038

Johnstown, PA $83,019

Springfield, MO $82,944

Biloxi, MS $82,898

Sumter, SC $82,701

Columbus, GA $82,692

Twin Falls, ID $82,636

Pascagoula, MS $82,514

Kingsport, TN $82,271

Gulfport, MS $82,243

Alexandria, LA $81,934

Fort Smith, AR $81,700

El Paso, TX $81,448

Helena, MT $81,326

Las Cruces, NM $81,027

Harlingen, TX $80,765

Pocatello, ID $80,681

Florence, AL $80,653

Brownsville, TX $80,634

Dothan, AL $80,485

Mcallen, TX $80,438

Columbus, MS $79,746

Altus, OK $79,315

Lawton, OK $79,138

Pierre, SD $78,801

What Skills Can Increase an Architectural Draftsperson'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 an Architectural Draftsperson'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	$101,015	8%
Innovation	$99,144	6%
Analysis	$98,209	5%
Leadership	$98,209	5%
Commitment	$97,274	4%
Collaboration	$97,274	4%

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How Education impacts an Architectural Draftsperson's Salary?

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

Architectural Draftsperson Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Architectural Draftsperson

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

Architectural Draftsperson Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Architectural Draftsperson'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

$85,238

Average $93,532/year

$101,464

$7,103

Average $7,794/month

$8,455

$1,639

Average $1,799/week

$1,951

$41

Average $45/hour

$49

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$101,464	$8,455	$1,951	$49
Average	$93,532	$7,794	$1,799	$45
25th Percentile	$85,238	$7,103	$1,639	$41

Salaries of jobs related to Architectural Draftsperson

Salary Trends for Architectural Draftsperson

Salaries for an Architectural Draftsperson can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $101,120 in 2023 to around $98,774 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Architectural Draftsperson salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Architectural Draftsperson Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$101,120

2024

$100,002

2025

$98,774

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$101,120
2024	$100,002
2025	$98,774
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Architectural Draftsperson

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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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