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

A Cad Operator's salary grows with experience: a CAD Drafter I (0-2 years)earns $58,639, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $66,760, a Cad Operator (4-7 years)earns $80,834, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $104,488, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $122,428,

What are the highest paying cities for a Cad Operator?

Cad Operator salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in South Dakota for Cad Operator roles are San Jose $113,433, San Francisco $112,318, Oakland $109,827.

How much do different types of Cad Operator roles make?

Salaries for Cad Operator level roles vary by specialization: CAD Coordinator: $90,493; CAD Programmer: $86,364; CAD Artist: $75,581; Senior CAD Operator: $67,228; CAD Detailer: $67,115.

What specialized skills increase a Cad Operator's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Products and Services (up to 8% premium), Innovation (up to 6% premium), Analysis (up to 5% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

Cad Operator Salary in Harrison, SD

How much does a Cad Operator make in Harrison, SD?

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cad Operator in Harrison, SD is $80,284 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $92,543
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $72,355 to $86,700
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $65,137

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

AI-Powered Talent

AI-Powered HR

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Cad Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$86,700	$7,225	$1,667	$42
Average	$80,284	$6,690	$1,544	$39
25th Percentile	$72,355	$6,030	$1,391	$35

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Cad Operator Job Openings in Harrison, SD

Physician Assistant PA

Capital Urological Associates a Division of Compass Health - COLDWATER, MI

Occupational Therapist Home Health

Signature Healthcare at Home - Everett - EVERETT, WA

Physical Therapist

Treehouse Therapies - FORT WALTON BEACH, FL

Respiratory Care Practitioner PRN

American Advanced Management, Inc - BATON ROUGE, LA

Search More Cad Operator Jobs in Harrison, SD

Key Factors That Influence Cad Operator Salaries

A Cad Operator'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, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Cad Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Cad Operator'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): $58,639
Early Career (1-2 years): $66,760
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $80,834
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $104,488
Expert (over 8 years): $122,428

Levels	Salary
CAD Draft... Level Cad Operator	$58,639
CAD Draft... Level Cad Operator	$66,760
Cad Opera... Level Cad Operator	$80,834
CAD Draft... Level Cad Operator	$104,488
CAD Draft... Level Cad Operator	$122,428

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Cad Operators

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: $113,433
San Francisco: $112,318
Oakland: $109,827

San Jose, CA $113,433

San Francisco, CA $112,318

Oakland, CA $109,827

New York, NY $104,224

Queens Village, NY $103,549

Paramus, NJ $102,830

Passaic, NJ $102,740

Bergenfield, NJ $102,650

Stamford, CT $102,515

Huntington, NY $102,425

Newark, NJ $101,841

Bridgeport, CT $101,661

New Brunswick, NJ $101,364

Vallejo, CA $101,175

Middlesex, NJ $101,121

Somerset, NJ $101,040

Petaluma, CA $100,833

Santa Cruz, CA $100,483

Boston, MA $100,303

Monterey, CA $99,853

Fairbanks, AK $99,790

Los Angeles, CA $99,619

Washington, DC $99,574

Seattle, WA $99,412

Santa Rosa, CA $99,394

Juneau, AK $99,134

Orange, CA $98,837

Anchorage, AK $98,675

Anaheim, CA $98,612

Santa Ana, CA $98,477

Nassau, NY $98,423

Long Beach, CA $98,387

Danbury, CT $98,360

Santa Maria, CA $98,054

Everett, WA $98,036

Bremerton, WA $97,596

Trenton, NJ $97,425

Sacramento, CA $97,389

San Diego, CA $97,344

Brockton, MA $97,308

Tacoma, WA $97,272

Santa Barbara, CA $97,146

Lowell, MA $96,786

New Suffolk, NY $96,750

Nashua, NH $96,642

Lompoc, CA $96,499

Ventura, CA $96,409

Stockton, CA $96,382

New Haven, CT $96,202

Atlantic City, NJ $95,968

Hartford, CT $95,770

Modesto, CA $95,725

Poughkeepsie, NY $95,527

New Britain, CT $95,482

Olympia, WA $95,356

Kennewick, WA $95,356

New London, CT $95,338

Norwich, CT $95,311

Lawrence, MA $95,266

Bakersfield, CA $95,015

Riverside, CA $94,889

New Bedford, MA $94,889

Richland, WA $94,799

Portsmouth, NH $94,727

Vineland, NJ $94,709

San Bernardino, CA $94,637

Boulder, CO $94,385

Worcester, MA $94,313

Portland, OR $94,232

Saint Paul, MN $94,124

Minneapolis, MN $94,124

Philadelphia, PA $93,998

Honolulu, HI $93,522

Springfield, MA $93,207

Providence, RI $93,198

Chicago, IL $92,937

Bellingham, WA $92,829

Baltimore, MD $92,730

Chico, CA $92,505

Wilmington, DE $92,353

Pittsfield, MA $92,263

Manchester, NH $92,092

Spokane, WA $91,696

Denver, CO $91,687

Albany, NY $91,264

Troy, NY $91,228

Schenectady, NY $91,040

Burlington, VT $90,842

Portland, ME $90,527

Salem, OR $90,455

Yakima, WA $90,437

Ann Arbor, MI $90,410

Rochester, MN $90,158

Fresno, CA $90,113

Reno, NV $90,113

Milwaukee, WI $90,032

Detroit, MI $89,942

Allentown, PA $89,915

Carson City, NV $89,906

Houston, TX $89,772

Colorado Springs, CO $89,763

Syracuse, NY $89,718

Eugene, OR $89,547

Bismarck, ND $89,439

Gary, IN $89,439

Galveston, TX $89,439

Springfield, OR $89,367

Medford, OR $89,151

Fort Collins, CO $89,115

Austin, TX $89,043

Mesa, AZ $88,854

Phoenix, AZ $88,836

Dallas, TX $88,809

Reading, PA $88,755

Saint Cloud, MN $88,719

Concord, NH $88,638

Madison, WI $88,602

Utica, NY $88,360

Raleigh, NC $88,288

Las Vegas, NV $88,279

Rochester, NY $88,216

Des Moines, IA $88,207

Atlanta, GA $88,063

Battle Creek, MI $88,036

Salt Lake City, UT $88,009

Lancaster, PA $87,874

Champaign, IL $87,856

Harrisburg, PA $87,748

Durham, NC $87,667

Kansas City, MO $87,658

Kansas City, KS $87,640

Fort Worth, TX $87,631

Boca Raton, FL $87,595

Cleveland, OH $87,586

Columbus, OH $87,568

Pittsburgh, PA $87,559

Richmond, VA $87,523

Indianapolis, IN $87,505

Cincinnati, OH $87,388

Petersburg, VA $87,253

Billings, MT $87,056

Lansing, MI $87,056

Huntsville, AL $87,056

Lebanon, PA $87,047

Dayton, OH $87,038

Pueblo, CO $87,038

Appleton, WI $87,011

Buffalo, NY $86,975

Racine, WI $86,930

Charlotte, NC $86,921

Saint Louis, MO $86,894

Springfield, IL $86,858

Elkhart, IN $86,840

York, PA $86,840

Gastonia, NC $86,831

Benton Harbor, MI $86,831

Beaumont, TX $86,777

Lorain, OH $86,759

Toledo, OH $86,723

Binghamton, NY $86,678

Rock Hill, SC $86,669

Rockford, IL $86,624

Fargo, ND $86,579

Elyria, OH $86,579

Flagstaff, AZ $86,516

Fort Lauderdale, FL $86,462

Miami, FL $86,408

Duluth, MN $86,264

Bangor, ME $86,147

Cedar Rapids, IA $86,048

Louisville, KY $86,003

Grand Rapids, MI $85,985

Hialeah, FL $85,976

Casper, WY $85,850

Scranton, PA $85,743

New Orleans, LA $85,716

Virginia Beach, VA $85,707

Akron, OH $85,662

Peoria, IL $85,545

Sarasota, FL $85,527

Green Bay, WI $85,464

Baton Rouge, LA $85,419

Charleston, SC $85,401

Nashville, TN $85,374

Jamestown, NY $85,356

Davenport, IA $85,356

Tucson, AZ $85,311

Cheyenne, WY $85,284

Saint Petersburg, FL $85,257

Tampa, FL $85,239

Omaha, NE $85,221

Port Arthur, TX $85,185

Evansville, IN $85,185

Bradenton, FL $85,149

Santa Fe, NM $84,987

Orlando, FL $84,897

Clearwater, FL $84,798

Canton, OH $84,609

La Crosse, WI $84,609

Grand Forks, ND $84,582

Albuquerque, NM $84,555

Tulsa, OK $84,555

Newport News, VA $84,546

High Point, NC $84,519

Ogden, UT $84,483

Corpus Christi, TX $84,411

Laramie, WY $84,358

Norfolk, VA $84,358

Rock Island, IL $84,304

Saginaw, MI $84,286

Jacksonville, FL $84,277

Salisbury, NC $84,259

Memphis, TN $84,241

Moline, IL $84,196

Fort Myers, FL $84,169

Waterloo, IA $84,052

Spartanburg, SC $83,962

Lincoln, NE $83,917

Fort Wayne, IN $83,899

Birmingham, AL $83,800

Cedar Falls, IA $83,782

Provo, UT $83,773

Springfield, OH $83,764

San Antonio, TX $83,746

Greensboro, NC $83,710

South Bend, IN $83,701

Winston Salem, NC $83,692

Boise, ID $83,665

Savannah, GA $83,602

Muskegon, MI $83,440

Lima, OH $83,332

Lake Charles, LA $83,296

Anderson, IN $83,278

Lexington, KY $83,251

Augusta, GA $83,224

Greenville, SC $83,224

Wichita, KS $83,143

Tuscaloosa, AL $83,143

Columbia, SC $83,062

Bloomington, IN $82,838

Roanoke, VA $82,784

Asheville, NC $82,667

Knoxville, TN $82,514

Shreveport, LA $82,505

Wilmington, NC $82,388

Frankfort, KY $82,217

Oklahoma City, OK $82,154

Chillicothe, OH $82,118

Longview, TX $82,109

Topeka, KS $82,082

Mobile, AL $81,947

Terre Haute, IN $81,911

Erie, PA $81,902

Altoona, PA $81,857

Melbourne, FL $81,830

Amarillo, TX $81,794

Killeen, TX $81,767

Fayetteville, AR $81,696

Sioux Falls, SD $81,633

Chattanooga, TN $81,579

Idaho Falls, ID $81,570

Gainesville, FL $81,381

Portsmouth, OH $81,336

Little Rock, AR $81,318

Lynchburg, VA $81,318

Lafayette, LA $81,282

Youngstown, OH $81,282

Temple, TX $81,246

Daytona Beach, FL $81,228

Clarksville, TN $81,219

Pensacola, FL $81,210

Hopkinsville, KY $80,940

Charleston, WV $80,931

Florence, SC $80,886

Sioux City, IA $80,832

Macon, GA $80,571

Tallahassee, FL $80,562

Fayetteville, NC $80,544

Waco, TX $80,526

Wichita Falls, TX $80,526

Pine Bluff, AR $80,490

Vincennes, IN $80,320

Lubbock, TX $80,284

Great Falls, MT $80,230

Alamogordo, NM $80,221

Abilene, TX $80,149

Rapid City, SD $80,032

Monroe, LA $80,032

Albany, GA $79,978

Huntington, WV $79,969

Jackson, MS $79,960

Greenville, MS $79,951

Parkersburg, WV $79,861

Montgomery, AL $79,843

Johnstown, PA $79,825

Springfield, MO $79,753

Biloxi, MS $79,708

Sumter, SC $79,519

Columbus, GA $79,510

Twin Falls, ID $79,456

Pascagoula, MS $79,339

Kingsport, TN $79,105

Gulfport, MS $79,078

Alexandria, LA $78,782

Fort Smith, AR $78,557

El Paso, TX $78,314

Helena, MT $78,197

Las Cruces, NM $77,909

Harlingen, TX $77,657

Pocatello, ID $77,577

Florence, AL $77,550

Brownsville, TX $77,532

Dothan, AL $77,388

Mcallen, TX $77,343

Columbus, MS $76,677

Altus, OK $76,264

Lawton, OK $76,093

Pierre, SD $75,769

What Skills Can Increase a Cad Operator'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 Operator'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	$86,706	8%
Innovation	$85,101	6%
Analysis	$84,298	5%
Leadership	$84,298	5%
Commitment	$83,495	4%
Collaboration	$83,495	4%

Get Latest Data

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

Understanding how a Cad Operator'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

$72,355

Average $80,284/year

$86,700

$6,030

Average $6,690/month

$7,225

$1,391

Average $1,544/week

$1,667

$35

Average $39/hour

$42

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$86,700	$7,225	$1,667	$42
Average	$80,284	$6,690	$1,544	$39
25th Percentile	$72,355	$6,030	$1,391	$35

Salaries of jobs related to Cad Operator

Find Your Next Cad Operator Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Cad Operator job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Cost of Living In Harrison, SD

Cost of Living in Harrison, SD is

-5.4% Lower

than the National Average

Use Salary.com's Cost of Living Calculator to find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.

Explore Cost of Living Calculator

Empower Your Team

Salary.com experts will help you thrive your workplaces.

Find Salary.com Comp Consulting

See Salary Trends in 2025

Salary.com provides salary survey data for thousands of industry Jobs.

Price Your Company Jobs and Make Pay Fair

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about