Drafters

Earnings in this field are dependent on a number of factors including skills and experience. Individuals with more extensive advanced training tend to earn higher beginning salaries. Salaries also are affected by regional demands in specific specialties, so where a drafter chooses to live and work will play a part in his or her salary.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, median annual earnings of architectural and civil drafters were $61,820 in May 2023, although earnings ranged from less than $39,720 for the lowest 10 percent to more than $94,580 for the highest 10 percent. Median annual earnings of mechanical drafters were $64,060, with a range of less than $43,420 for the lowest 10 percent to more than $102,110 for the highest 10 percent. Median earnings of electrical and electronics drafters were $69,260 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $46,470 a year, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $103,530. Fifty percent of electrical and electronics drafters earned between $54,970 and $83,870. All other drafters earned between $39,000 to $91,400 or more.

CAD drafters earned median salaries of $65,422 in August 2024, according to Salary.com. Salaries ranged from less than $59,018 to $72,499 or more.

Employers generally offer drafters a range of benefit options, including health insurance, retirement plans, and the like. Travel is sometimes considered an indirect benefit of a job. Although architects and engineers often travel to construction sites to inspect the development of individual projects, drafters seldom are required to travel. Construction drafters, for instance, may be asked to visit sites toward the end of construction to provide final drawings of the completed structure, but most of their work will be done from their offices.