occupation · 17-3013 · detailed
Mechanical Drafters — wages and employment
Mechanical Drafters earned a median annual wage of $68,510 in the United States in May 2024, with 39,900 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Mechanical Drafters earned a median annual wage of $68,510 in the United States in May 2024, with 39,900 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $46,500 or less, the best-paid tenth $107,600 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $64,060 to $68,510, +6.9 %. The best-paying state is New Mexico at $85,220; the lowest Puerto Rico at $49,310. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $111,820. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 39,900 | $68,510 | $74,040 | $46,500 | $56,470 | $85,580 | $107,600 | $32.94 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 44,850 | $64,060 | $69,920 | $43,420 | $52,000 | $81,380 | $102,110 | $30.80 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $85,220 | 120 |
| Colorado | $85,050 | 480 |
| Vermont | $81,840 | 60 |
| California | $80,430 | 3,360 |
| Arizona | $80,270 | 720 |
| Nevada | $79,710 | 240 |
| Oregon | $79,660 | 470 |
| New Jersey | $79,190 | 780 |
| Maryland | $77,300 | 390 |
| Texas | $76,740 | 3,460 |
| Rhode Island | $76,390 | 90 |
| Louisiana | $75,230 | 370 |
| Washington | $75,190 | 1,600 |
| Michigan | $74,390 | 1,720 |
| Kansas | $73,800 | 460 |
| Minnesota | $73,140 | 1,450 |
| Illinois | $72,530 | 710 |
| Massachusetts | $71,610 | 840 |
| New York | $69,440 | 2,030 |
| Utah | $68,520 | 610 |
| Connecticut | $67,420 | 470 |
| Missouri | $66,740 | 820 |
| South Carolina | $66,450 | — |
| Ohio | $66,290 | 2,130 |
| Oklahoma | $66,280 | 530 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,170 | 2,070 |
| North Dakota | $66,140 | 50 |
| Iowa | $65,160 | 590 |
| Kentucky | $65,110 | 510 |
| Georgia | $65,050 | 590 |
| Virginia | $64,820 | 540 |
| Tennessee | $64,180 | 1,250 |
| Idaho | $63,900 | 250 |
| Delaware | $63,560 | 150 |
| Florida | $62,360 | 1,970 |
| Indiana | $62,240 | 1,590 |
| North Carolina | $61,990 | 850 |
| Wisconsin | $61,960 | 2,010 |
| Arkansas | $60,620 | 420 |
| Maine | $59,960 | 370 |
| Mississippi | $58,760 | 240 |
| Montana | $57,590 | 40 |
| West Virginia | $57,040 | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $56,460 | — |
| Wyoming | $52,660 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $52,620 | 560 |
| South Dakota | $51,270 | 110 |
| Alabama | $49,580 | 590 |
| Puerto Rico | $49,310 | 140 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $111,820 | 250 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $94,180 | 550 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $88,540 | 950 |
| Boulder, CO | $86,500 | 70 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $86,230 | 40 |
| Reno, NV | $85,230 | 80 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $85,050 | 280 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $84,790 | 40 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $84,640 | 1,360 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $84,550 | 100 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $84,050 | 260 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $83,960 | 60 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $83,840 | 390 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $83,310 | 150 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $83,250 | 40 |
| Midland, TX | $82,880 | 70 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $81,840 | 40 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $81,760 | 50 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $81,710 | 270 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $81,490 | 140 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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