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

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

How does experience change A Drafting Specialist's salary?

A Drafting Specialist's salary grows with experience: a Drafting Specialist (0-2 years)earns $66,124, a CAD Drafter II (2-4 years)earns $75,282, a CAD Drafter III (4-7 years)earns $91,152, a CAD Drafter IV (7+ years)earns $117,812, a CAD Drafter V (7-10 years)earns $138,038,

What are the highest paying states for a Drafting Specialist?

Drafting Specialist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Drafting Specialist roles are District of Columbia $72,711, California $72,436, Massachusetts $71,470. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Drafting Specialist roles make?

Salaries for Drafting Specialist level roles vary by specialization: Drafting Manager: $134,156; Design/Drafting Manager: $127,300; Drafting Projects Manager: $127,290; Drafting Supervisor: $114,870; Drafting Detailer: $94,009.

How do different companies affect a Drafting Specialist's salary?

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

Drafting Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Drafting Specialist make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Drafting Specialist in the United States is $65,671 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $32.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,908
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59,158 to $70,506
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $53,228

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Drafting Specialist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,506	$5,876	$1,356	$34
Average	$65,671	$5,473	$1,263	$32
25th Percentile	$59,158	$4,930	$1,138	$28

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Key Factors That Influence Drafting Specialist Salaries

A Drafting Specialist'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 Drafting Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Drafting Specialist'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): $66,124
Early Career (1-2 years): $75,282
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $91,152
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $117,812
Expert (over 8 years): $138,038

Levels	Salary
Drafting ... Level Drafting Specialist	$66,124
CAD Draft... Level Drafting Specialist	$75,282
CAD Draft... Level Drafting Specialist	$91,152
CAD Draft... Level Drafting Specialist	$117,812
CAD Draft... Level Drafting Specialist	$138,038

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Drafting Specialist 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 Drafting Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $72,711.
California: $72,436.
Massachusetts: $71,470.

District of Columbia $72,711

California $72,436

Massachusetts $71,470

Washington $71,207

New Jersey $71,181

Alaska $71,089

Connecticut $70,183

New York $69,815

Hawaii $68,640

Rhode Island $68,088

Maryland $67,714

Minnesota $67,202

Colorado $67,005

Illinois $66,939

Oregon $66,689

Delaware $66,505

New Hampshire $66,390

Virginia $66,131

Pennsylvania $65,376

Nevada $64,995

North Dakota $64,870

Michigan $64,673

Wisconsin $64,601

Vermont $64,456

Texas $64,056

Maine $64,030

Arizona $63,990

Ohio $63,944

Georgia $63,340

Indiana $63,038

Wyoming $62,979

Utah $62,887

Iowa $62,848

Kansas $62,532

Louisiana $62,440

North Carolina $62,408

Missouri $62,394

Florida $62,138

Montana $62,000

Nebraska $61,869

Kentucky $61,797

South Carolina $61,534

Tennessee $61,370

Idaho $61,304

New Mexico $60,825

Oklahoma $60,720

Alabama $60,332

South Dakota $59,682

Arkansas $59,328

West Virginia $59,137

Mississippi $58,566

Top Paying Cities for Drafting Specialists

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: $82,831
San Francisco: $81,924
Oakland: $80,198

San Jose, CA $82,831

San Francisco, CA $81,924

Oakland, CA $80,198

New York, NY $75,613

Paramus, NJ $74,694

Queens Village, NY $74,691

Passaic, NJ $74,628

Bergenfield, NJ $74,622

Stamford, CT $74,478

Huntington, NY $74,451

Newark, NJ $73,966

Bridgeport, CT $73,827

Vallejo, CA $73,696

New Brunswick, NJ $73,670

Petaluma, CA $73,631

Middlesex, NJ $73,506

Somerset, NJ $73,460

Santa Cruz, CA $73,375

Boston, MA $72,974

Monterey, CA $72,744

Seattle, WA $72,593

Santa Rosa, CA $72,580

Los Angeles, CA $72,560

Juneau, AK $72,390

Washington, DC $72,317

Orange, CA $72,084

Santa Ana, CA $71,910

Long Beach, CA $71,845

Anaheim, CA $71,831

Anchorage, AK $71,799

Santa Maria, CA $71,602

Everett, WA $71,588

Danbury, CT $71,357

Bremerton, WA $71,267

Tacoma, WA $71,030

New Suffolk, NY $71,029

Sacramento, CA $71,010

Santa Barbara, CA $70,938

Trenton, NJ $70,866

San Diego, CA $70,866

Brockton, MA $70,794

Fairbanks, AK $70,633

Lompoc, CA $70,465

Lowell, MA $70,412

Ventura, CA $70,400

Nashua, NH $70,387

Stockton, CA $70,380

Modesto, CA $69,901

Poughkeepsie, NY $69,756

Olympia, WA $69,631

Kennewick, WA $69,631

New Haven, CT $69,605

Lawrence, MA $69,369

Hartford, CT $69,303

Riverside, CA $69,290

New Bedford, MA $69,224

Richland, WA $69,224

Bakersfield, CA $69,132

San Bernardino, CA $69,106

New Britain, CT $69,099

Atlantic City, NJ $69,099

New London, CT $69,073

Norwich, CT $69,053

Portsmouth, NH $69,040

Boulder, CO $68,901

Portland, OR $68,810

Worcester, MA $68,804

Minneapolis, MN $68,600

Philadelphia, PA $68,508

Honolulu, HI $68,292

Saint Paul, MN $68,260

Vineland, NJ $68,246

Providence, RI $68,055

Chicago, IL $67,865

Bellingham, WA $67,786

Springfield, MA $67,733

Baltimore, MD $67,714

Chico, CA $67,550

Pittsfield, MA $67,372

Manchester, NH $67,248

Spokane, WA $66,959

Denver, CO $66,952

Albany, NY $66,643

Troy, NY $66,617

Nassau, NY $66,547

Schenectady, NY $66,479

Wilmington, DE $66,427

Burlington, VT $66,335

Salem, OR $66,308

Portland, ME $66,105

Yakima, WA $66,039

Rochester, MN $65,836

Reno, NV $65,803

Fresno, CA $65,803

Milwaukee, WI $65,744

Detroit, MI $65,678

Ann Arbor, MI $65,667

Allentown, PA $65,658

Colorado Springs, CO $65,547

Syracuse, NY $65,514

Carson City, NV $65,514

Houston, TX $65,422

Eugene, OR $65,389

Gary, IN $65,310

Springfield, OR $65,258

Bismarck, ND $65,245

Galveston, TX $65,199

Medford, OR $65,100

Fort Collins, CO $65,074

Concord, NH $65,041

Austin, TX $65,021

Mesa, AZ $64,883

Reading, PA $64,877

Phoenix, AZ $64,870

Dallas, TX $64,851

Saint Cloud, MN $64,787

Madison, WI $64,699

Utica, NY $64,522

Rochester, NY $64,417

Des Moines, IA $64,411

Raleigh, NC $64,404

Atlanta, GA $64,305

Battle Creek, MI $64,286

Salt Lake City, UT $64,266

Lancaster, PA $64,168

Harrisburg, PA $64,076

Kansas City, MO $64,010

Champaign, IL $63,997

Kansas City, KS $63,997

Fort Worth, TX $63,990

Columbus, OH $63,979

Boca Raton, FL $63,964

Pittsburgh, PA $63,938

Richmond, VA $63,911

Indianapolis, IN $63,898

Cleveland, OH $63,892

Las Vegas, NV $63,813

Cincinnati, OH $63,813

Petersburg, VA $63,714

Huntsville, AL $63,616

Lansing, MI $63,572

Lebanon, PA $63,563

Pueblo, CO $63,557

Appleton, WI $63,537

Buffalo, NY $63,511

Dayton, OH $63,491

Racine, WI $63,478

Charlotte, NC $63,471

Saint Louis, MO $63,452

York, PA $63,412

Elkhart, IN $63,412

Gastonia, NC $63,400

Billings, MT $63,384

Beaumont, TX $63,366

Lorain, OH $63,353

Benton Harbor, MI $63,340

Toledo, OH $63,327

Binghamton, NY $63,294

Rock Hill, SC $63,288

Rockford, IL $63,255

Springfield, IL $63,228

Elyria, OH $63,222

Fargo, ND $63,222

Flagstaff, AZ $63,176

Fort Lauderdale, FL $63,136

Duluth, MN $63,097

Miami, FL $63,097

Cheyenne, WY $63,051

Grand Forks, ND $63,051

Bangor, ME $62,907

Cedar Rapids, IA $62,834

Durham, NC $62,807

Louisville, KY $62,802

Grand Rapids, MI $62,788

Hialeah, FL $62,782

Casper, WY $62,690

Scranton, PA $62,611

New Orleans, LA $62,591

Virginia Beach, VA $62,585

Akron, OH $62,552

Peoria, IL $62,467

Sarasota, FL $62,454

Nashville, TN $62,408

Omaha, NE $62,408

Green Bay, WI $62,408

Baton Rouge, LA $62,375

Charleston, SC $62,362

Jamestown, NY $62,329

Davenport, IA $62,329

Tucson, AZ $62,296

Saint Petersburg, FL $62,256

Tampa, FL $62,243

Evansville, IN $62,204

Port Arthur, TX $62,204

Bradenton, FL $62,178

Santa Fe, NM $62,059

Orlando, FL $61,941

Clearwater, FL $61,922

Canton, OH $61,784

La Crosse, WI $61,784

Albuquerque, NM $61,744

Newport News, VA $61,738

High Point, NC $61,718

Ogden, UT $61,692

Corpus Christi, TX $61,639

Norfolk, VA $61,600

Laramie, WY $61,600

Rock Island, IL $61,560

Saginaw, MI $61,547

Jacksonville, FL $61,541

Salisbury, NC $61,528

Boise, ID $61,514

Moline, IL $61,482

Fort Myers, FL $61,462

Memphis, TN $61,449

Tulsa, OK $61,416

Waterloo, IA $61,376

Spartanburg, SC $61,311

Lincoln, NE $61,278

Fort Wayne, IN $61,265

Provo, UT $61,258

Cedar Falls, IA $61,179

San Antonio, TX $61,153

Greensboro, NC $61,127

South Bend, IN $61,120

Savannah, GA $61,048

Muskegon, MI $61,022

Birmingham, AL $61,015

Winston Salem, NC $60,983

Lake Charles, LA $60,825

Anderson, IN $60,812

Lexington, KY $60,792

Augusta, GA $60,772

Greenville, SC $60,772

Lima, OH $60,720

Wichita, KS $60,713

Tuscaloosa, AL $60,713

Columbia, SC $60,654

Springfield, OH $60,641

Asheville, NC $60,536

Bloomington, IN $60,490

Knoxville, TN $60,254

Shreveport, LA $60,247

Wilmington, NC $60,162

Roanoke, VA $60,162

Topeka, KS $60,043

Frankfort, KY $60,036

Oklahoma City, OK $59,991

Chillicothe, OH $59,965

Longview, TX $59,958

Melbourne, FL $59,951

Sioux Falls, SD $59,846

Mobile, AL $59,840

Terre Haute, IN $59,814

Altoona, PA $59,774

Amarillo, TX $59,728

Killeen, TX $59,708

Fayetteville, AR $59,656

Chattanooga, TN $59,636

Sioux City, IA $59,577

Idaho Falls, ID $59,564

Lynchburg, VA $59,511

Gainesville, FL $59,426

Portsmouth, OH $59,393

Little Rock, AR $59,380

Lafayette, LA $59,354

Youngstown, OH $59,354

Daytona Beach, FL $59,314

Clarksville, TN $59,308

Pensacola, FL $59,301

Temple, TX $59,297

Hopkinsville, KY $59,104

Erie, PA $59,091

Florence, SC $59,065

Charleston, WV $58,960

Great Falls, MT $58,927

Macon, GA $58,835

Tallahassee, FL $58,828

Fayetteville, NC $58,815

Waco, TX $58,802

Helena, MT $58,756

Pine Bluff, AR $58,731

Vincennes, IN $58,651

Lubbock, TX $58,625

Alamogordo, NM $58,585

Twin Falls, ID $58,526

Rapid City, SD $58,507

Jackson, MS $58,388

Huntington, WV $58,384

Greenville, MS $58,382

Parkersburg, WV $58,315

Montgomery, AL $58,303

Wichita Falls, TX $58,237

Springfield, MO $58,237

Biloxi, MS $58,205

Monroe, LA $58,139

Johnstown, PA $58,093

Sumter, SC $58,067

Columbus, GA $58,060

Pascagoula, MS $57,935

Abilene, TX $57,935

Kingsport, TN $57,765

Albany, GA $57,765

Gulfport, MS $57,745

Alexandria, LA $57,528

Fort Smith, AR $57,364

El Paso, TX $57,187

Las Cruces, NM $56,891

Harlingen, TX $56,724

Pocatello, ID $56,714

Florence, AL $56,628

Brownsville, TX $56,615

Mcallen, TX $56,477

Dothan, AL $56,385

Columbus, MS $55,995

Altus, OK $55,689

Lawton, OK $55,565

Pierre, SD $55,328

What Skills Can Increase a Drafting Specialist'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 Drafting Specialist'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	$75,522	15%
Products and Services	$70,268	7%
Presentation	$69,612	6%
Analysis	$68,955	5%
Leadership	$68,298	4%
Project Management	$68,298	4%

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How Education impacts a Drafting Specialist's Salary?

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

Drafting Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Drafting Specialist

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

Drafting Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Drafting Specialist'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

$59,158

Average $65,671/year

$70,506

$4,930

Average $5,473/month

$5,876

$1,138

Average $1,263/week

$1,356

$28

Average $32/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,506	$5,876	$1,356	$34
Average	$65,671	$5,473	$1,263	$32
25th Percentile	$59,158	$4,930	$1,138	$28

Salaries of jobs related to Drafting Specialist

Salary Trends for Drafting Specialist

Salaries for a Drafting Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $64,701 in 2023 to around $63,383 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Drafting Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Drafting Specialist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$64,701

2024

$64,008

2025

$63,383

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$64,701
2024	$64,008
2025	$63,383
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Drafting Specialist

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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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