As of May 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Senior CAD Designer in the US is $79,748, equivalent to $38 per hour, $1,534 weekly, or $6,646 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Senior CAD Designer in cities like San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco.

Annually Salaries for Senior CAD Designer in the US vary widely, spanning from $65,855 to $92,551. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($72,476) and 75th percentile ($86,450), while top earners (90th percentile) make $92,551 per year. This $13,974 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Troubleshooting or Pneumatics, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, District of Columbia Senior CAD Designer often earn 10.7% above national averages due to demand from Fortune 85 companies and industry startups. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Senior CAD Designer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Senior CAD Designer Salary $65,855 US May 01, 2026
25th Percentile Senior CAD Designer Salary $72,476 US May 01, 2026
50th Percentile Senior CAD Designer Salary $79,748 US May 01, 2026
75th Percentile Senior CAD Designer Salary $86,450 US May 01, 2026
90th Percentile Senior CAD Designer Salary $92,551 US May 01, 2026
25% $72,476 10% $65,855 90% $92,551 75% $86,450 $79,748 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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Check out Senior CAD Designer jobs in Columbus, Ohio

CAS CAD Designer

Johnson Matthey - West Chester, PA –, OH

Sr Designer/Drafter

Primetals Technologies - Warren, OH

Senior CAD Designer

ANS - Columbus, OH

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What is a Senior CAD Designer ?

A drafter, draughtsman (British English) or draftsman, drafting technician (American English and Canadian English) is a person who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for machinery, buildings, electronics, infrastructure, sections, etc. Drafters use computer software and manual sketches to convert the designs, plans, and layouts of engineers and architects into a set of technical drawings. Drafters operate as the supporting developers and sketch engineering designs and drawings from preliminary design concepts....

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Senior CAD Designer.

Job Openings for Senior CAD Designer

Career Path for this job

  1. Down a level:

    CAD Drafter II

    2 - 4 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. This Job:

    Senior CAD Designer

    4 - 7 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  3. Up a level:

    CAD Drafter IV

    7 + years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Senior CAD Designer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
72476
86450
79748

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
82695
103397
92606
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Senior CAD Designer in the United States. The base salary for Senior CAD Designer ranges from $72,476 to $86,450 with the average base salary of $79,748. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $82,695 to $103,397 with the average total cash compensation of $92,606.
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72476
86450

 

Skills associated with Senior CAD Designer: Design

Recently searched related titles: Design Drafter, Engineering Cad Technician, Bim Specialist

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