Architectural and Civil Drafters
Median $66,150
Occupation · SOC 17-3019
Drafters, All Other: pay and where the jobs are
What drafters, all other earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$63,520 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $68,250
- Median hourly wage
- $30.54
- Mean hourly wage
- $32.81
- Employment
- 14,470
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 17-3019.
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See where your pay falls among drafters, all other nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do drafters, all other make?
The median annual wage for drafters, all other was $63,520 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $43,420 and the highest-paid 10% more than $99,380. As an hourly rate, the median is $30.54. About 14,470 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in New Jersey ($77,840), California ($73,390) and Wisconsin ($73,040). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Louisiana.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for drafters, all other looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,420 | $20.88 | $3,618 | $3,089 |
| 25th percentile | $51,650 | $24.83 | $4,304 | $3,640 |
| Median | $63,520 | $30.54 | $5,293 | $4,435 |
| 75th percentile | $79,700 | $38.32 | $6,642 | $5,408 |
| 90th percentile | $99,380 | $47.78 | $8,282 | $6,562 |
Drafters, All Other: pay by state
41 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$62,728 take-home in national prices
2
$62,679 take-home in national prices
3
$60,988 take-home in national prices
Where a median drafters, all other paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 350 | $77,840 | $52,720 | $119,240 | $60,305 | $55,425 |
| California | 1,750 | $73,390 | $49,200 | $104,290 | $56,860 | $51,355 |
| Wisconsin | 200 | $73,040 | $51,630 | $99,050 | $57,386 | $60,988 |
| Washington | 520 | $72,800 | $52,780 | $102,370 | $59,035 | $55,166 |
| New York | 610 | $72,190 | $52,120 | $115,840 | $55,971 | $51,863 |
| Massachusetts | 170 | $72,100 | $50,770 | $97,220 | $55,836 | $52,796 |
| New Hampshire | 70 | $70,710 | $51,550 | $110,230 | $58,574 | $56,232 |
| Arizona | 430 | $70,070 | $45,960 | $102,200 | $56,766 | $56,385 |
| Utah | 170 | $69,420 | $48,450 | $108,740 | $54,878 | $55,509 |
| Louisiana | 1,200 | $68,470 | $45,730 | $110,460 | $55,331 | $62,728 |
| Michigan | 360 | $67,750 | $47,500 | $115,640 | $53,864 | $55,981 |
| Mississippi | 70 | $67,730 | $52,540 | $97,710 | $54,501 | $62,679 |
| Colorado | 280 | $67,320 | $50,130 | $100,550 | $53,640 | $52,051 |
| Virginia | 170 | $67,220 | $41,760 | $87,430 | $53,068 | $52,489 |
| Connecticut | 140 | $66,620 | $49,660 | $101,870 | $52,450 | $50,622 |
| Kansas | 50 | $66,040 | $51,900 | $86,910 | $52,358 | $58,131 |
| Minnesota | 170 | $63,220 | $49,660 | $88,450 | $49,924 | $50,622 |
| Montana | 280 | $63,200 | $47,610 | $83,490 | $50,748 | $53,619 |
| Georgia | 550 | $62,400 | $41,140 | $99,890 | $49,953 | $51,876 |
| Nevada | 180 | $62,400 | $41,760 | $90,590 | $52,318 | $52,329 |
| Missouri | 400 | $61,990 | $41,320 | $84,270 | $50,013 | $55,070 |
| South Carolina | 60 | $61,250 | $52,110 | $82,100 | $49,649 | $52,959 |
| Iowa | 230 | $60,750 | $39,980 | $84,840 | $49,336 | $56,216 |
| Texas | 2,450 | $59,990 | $36,680 | $91,500 | $50,382 | $51,910 |
| Florida | 670 | $59,970 | $38,160 | $85,410 | $50,366 | $48,703 |
| Vermont | 90 | $59,930 | $40,630 | $80,050 | $48,760 | $49,776 |
| Puerto Rico | 80 | $59,870 | $30,100 | $98,140 | — | — |
| North Carolina | 320 | $59,500 | $34,130 | $101,250 | $48,123 | $51,018 |
| Oregon | 660 | $58,790 | $46,070 | $93,910 | $45,184 | $43,715 |
| Nebraska | 110 | $58,640 | $28,080 | $74,900 | $47,509 | $52,727 |
| Indiana | 50 | $58,600 | $51,820 | $89,610 | $47,566 | $50,966 |
| Kentucky | 50 | $57,930 | $45,760 | $80,240 | $46,817 | $51,927 |
| Ohio | 260 | $57,610 | $43,310 | $83,300 | $47,329 | $51,015 |
| Idaho | 60 | $56,430 | $37,590 | $85,430 | $45,639 | $47,793 |
| Maryland | 160 | $55,640 | $41,730 | $98,050 | $44,610 | $42,502 |
| Maine | 40 | $55,460 | $30,470 | $76,370 | $44,399 | $45,749 |
| Pennsylvania | 250 | $54,240 | $44,420 | $76,270 | $44,059 | $45,155 |
| Illinois | 190 | $53,300 | $44,420 | $94,270 | $42,513 | $42,531 |
| Oklahoma | 40 | $49,920 | $38,000 | $104,680 | $40,590 | $46,207 |
| Arkansas | 100 | $48,020 | $32,750 | $84,360 | $39,475 | $45,406 |
| Alabama | 50 | $47,320 | $34,120 | $80,030 | $38,251 | $43,064 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 17-3019. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.