Cad Design Technician Salary in the United States

How much does a Cad Design Technician make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cad Design Technician in the United States is $91,193 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $44.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $105,134
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $82,195 to $98,490
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $74,003
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View as table View as graph 25% $82,195 10% $74,003 90% $105,134 75% $98,490 $91,193 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Cad Design Technician Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $98,490 $8,208 $1,894 $47
Average $91,193 $7,599 $1,754 $44
25th Percentile $82,195 $6,850 $1,581 $40
Check out Cad Design Technician Job Openings in the United States
CAD Technician

Logan Machine Company - Fairlawn, OH

CAD Technician

Logan Machine Company - Stow, OH

Senior CAD Technician

Fieldstone Architecture & Engineering - Cleveland, OH

CAD Technician II

CESO, Inc. - Dayton, OH

Search More Cad Design Technician Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Cad Design Technician Salaries

A Cad Design Technician'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 Design Technician Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Cad Design Technician'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): $66,607
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $75,833
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,818
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $118,664
  • Expert (over 8 years): $139,036
Levels Salary
CAD Draft... Level Cad Design Technician$66,607
CAD Draft... Level Cad Design Technician$75,833
Cad Desig... Level Cad Design Technician$91,818
CAD Draft... Level Cad Design Technician$118,664
CAD Draft... Level Cad Design Technician$139,036
$66,607 0 yr
$75,833 < 2 yrs
$91,818 2-4 yrs
$118,664 5-8 yrs
$139,036 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Cad Design Technician 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 Design Technicians. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $100,969.
  • California: $100,586.
  • Massachusetts: $99,246.

Top Paying Cities for Cad Design Technicians

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: $115,022
  • San Francisco: $113,763
  • Oakland: $111,365

What Skills Can Increase a Cad Design Technician'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 Cad Design Technician'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
$98,489
8%
Innovation
$96,665
6%
Analysis
$95,753
5%
Leadership
$95,753
5%
Commitment
$94,841
4%
Collaboration
$94,841
4%
Get Latest Data

Cad Design Technician Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Cad Design Technician roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Transportation and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Cad Design Technician positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Construction typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Cad Design Technician as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Cad Design Technician

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Transportation$118,551$57.030%
Energy & Utilities$100,313$48.010%
Financial Services$100,313$48.010%
Software & Networking$98,489$47.08%
Biotechnology$95,753$46.05%

How Education impacts a Cad Design Technician's Salary?

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

Cad Design Technician Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cad Design Technician
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%
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Cad Design Technician Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cad Design Technician'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 July 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Cad Design Technician

Salaries for a Cad Design Technician can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $99,889 in 2023 to around $97,572 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cad Design Technician salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cad Design Technician Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$99,889
2024
$98,785
2025
$97,572
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $99,889
2024 $98,785
2025 $97,572
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Cad Design Technician

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Cad Design Technician

Here are companies hiring for Cad Design Technician and their salaries, click below for more details.

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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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