Mechanical Drafters
Mechanical Drafters (SOC 17-3013) earn a median $71,550 a year ($34.40 an hour) in the United States, with 39,960 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Mexico.
What mechanical drafters do
Mechanical drafters prepare detailed working drawings of machinery and mechanical devices, showing dimensions, fastening methods, and the other information a shop needs to manufacture them. Much of the work is done in computer-aided design software, where they build three-dimensional models, then lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, and angled views to show how the parts relate and work. They develop design drawings and specifications for equipment, dies, and tools from specifications, sketches, and related data, and they modify and revise designs to fix operating problems or to make production easier. They also check the dimensions of materials, assign numbers to them, and compute formulas to work out specifications for components. The occupation differs from mechanical engineers, who determine the design requirements and analyze performance, and from architectural and electrical drafters, who prepare drawings for buildings and electrical systems. It also differs from machinists and tool and die makers, who make the parts from the drawings. Some prepare blueprints of specialty items such as furniture or automobile bodies.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported education level is an associate degree.
Also called: Aeronautical Drafter, Architectural Drafter, Auto Design Detailer, Auto Design Drafter (Automotive Design Drafter), AutoCAD Designer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $23.25 | $27.93 | $34.40 | $41.41 | $51.24 | $36.09 | 39,960 |
| Annual | $48,360 | $58,080 | $71,550 | $86,120 | $106,580 | $75,060 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where mechanical drafters earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $25.41 | $41.22 | $43.24 | $61.73 | $63.15 | $47.34 | 90 | 0.10 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $52,840 | $85,730 | $89,940 | $128,400 | $131,340 | $98,460 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $27.74 | $33.85 | $41.00 | $56.37 | $61.48 | $44.84 | 580 | 0.20 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $57,700 | $70,420 | $85,280 | $117,240 | $127,880 | $93,270 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $26.87 | $34.63 | $40.09 | $47.76 | $58.30 | $41.61 | 690 | 0.16 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $55,890 | $72,030 | $83,380 | $99,340 | $121,250 | $86,540 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $24.14 | $31.68 | $39.67 | $49.45 | $61.61 | $41.71 | 3,640 | 0.20 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $50,200 | $65,900 | $82,510 | $102,860 | $128,160 | $86,750 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $25.00 | $29.67 | $38.16 | $45.00 | $51.00 | $38.68 | 4,630 | 0.33 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $52,000 | $61,710 | $79,380 | $93,600 | $106,080 | $80,450 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $25.00 | $29.67 | $38.16 | $45.00 | $51.00 | $38.68 | 4,630 | 0.33 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $52,000 | $61,710 | $79,380 | $93,600 | $106,080 | $80,450 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $24.14 | $31.68 | $39.67 | $49.45 | $61.61 | $41.71 | 3,640 | 0.20 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $50,200 | $65,900 | $82,510 | $102,860 | $128,160 | $86,750 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $22.93 | $25.72 | $30.52 | $37.74 | $45.74 | $33.77 | 2,330 | 0.39 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $47,700 | $53,500 | $63,480 | $78,490 | $95,130 | $70,250 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $22.65 | $27.75 | $34.75 | $45.63 | $53.93 | $36.50 | 2,030 | 0.46 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $47,100 | $57,720 | $72,280 | $94,900 | $112,170 | $75,920 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $24.99 | $30.12 | $36.78 | $44.53 | $52.66 | $38.10 | 1,940 | 0.20 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $51,990 | $62,640 | $76,490 | $92,610 | $109,530 | $79,250 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Boulder, CO | Hourly | $34.61 | $40.46 | $49.38 | $76.73 | $77.77 | $52.80 | 60 | 0.33 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $71,990 | $84,150 | $102,710 | $159,600 | $161,770 | $109,830 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $33.44 | $39.04 | $47.27 | $57.41 | $60.25 | $47.57 | 390 | 0.16 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $69,550 | $81,210 | $98,310 | $119,420 | $125,320 | $98,950 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $30.44 | $37.17 | $46.85 | $57.20 | $64.71 | $48.71 | 240 | 0.21 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $63,310 | $77,320 | $97,450 | $118,980 | $134,590 | $101,310 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $28.69 | $32.32 | $45.42 | $64.15 | $66.20 | $47.34 | 1,020 | 0.49 | 1.91 |
| Annual | $59,670 | $67,220 | $94,470 | $133,420 | $137,690 | $98,470 | ||||
| Albuquerque, NM | Hourly | $33.76 | $43.24 | $45.26 | $61.73 | $64.76 | $50.02 | 50 | 0.13 | 0.50 |
| Annual | $70,220 | $89,940 | $94,140 | $128,400 | $134,700 | $104,030 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $27.14 | $34.49 | $40.00 | $45.00 | $45.32 | $39.27 | 1,620 | 0.40 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $56,440 | $71,740 | $83,200 | $93,600 | $94,260 | $81,680 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $23.62 | $31.53 | $38.84 | $49.45 | $61.61 | $41.54 | 1,480 | 0.24 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $49,130 | $65,570 | $80,780 | $102,860 | $128,160 | $86,410 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $26.44 | $29.98 | $37.89 | $48.22 | $62.74 | $41.40 | 1,300 | 0.40 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $54,990 | $62,360 | $78,820 | $100,300 | $130,490 | $86,110 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $29.53 | $35.49 | $40.42 | $47.45 | $59.85 | $42.45 | 1,180 | 0.12 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $61,420 | $73,820 | $84,070 | $98,690 | $124,490 | $88,290 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $28.69 | $32.32 | $45.42 | $64.15 | $66.20 | $47.34 | 1,020 | 0.49 | 1.91 |
| Annual | $59,670 | $67,220 | $94,470 | $133,420 | $137,690 | $98,470 | ||||
Top industries employing mechanical drafters
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services employ 17.6% of mechanical drafters nationally (7,040 jobs) at a median $77,120 a year ($37.08 an hour), followed by Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) (11.2%) and Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) (10.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 7,040 | 17.6% | $77,120 | $37.08 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) NAICS 3320A2 | 4,490 | 11.2% | $63,680 | $30.61 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) NAICS 3330A1 | 4,260 | 10.7% | $66,370 | $31.91 |
| Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200 | 3,060 | 7.7% | $79,830 | $38.38 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) NAICS 3320A1 | 1,310 | 3.3% | $64,770 | $31.14 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (39,960). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $60,200 for mechanical drafters in May 2021 and $71,550 in May 2025, with employment of 47,760 and 39,960.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $60,200 | $28.94 | 47,760 |
| May 2022 | $61,310 | $29.48 | 47,540 |
| May 2023 | $64,060 | $30.80 | 44,850 |
| May 2024 | $68,510 | $32.94 | 39,900 |
| May 2025 | $71,550 | $34.40 | 39,960 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
48 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico profile | $43.24 | $89,940 | $52,840 | $131,340 | 90 | 0.10 | 0.40 |
| 2 | Colorado profile | $41.00 | $85,280 | $57,700 | $127,880 | 580 | 0.20 | 0.78 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $40.09 | $83,380 | $55,890 | $121,250 | 690 | 0.16 | 0.62 |
| 4 | California profile | $39.67 | $82,510 | $50,200 | $128,160 | 3,640 | 0.20 | 0.78 |
| 5 | Texas profile | $38.16 | $79,380 | $52,000 | $106,080 | 4,630 | 0.33 | 1.28 |
| 6 | Louisiana profile | $37.37 | $77,730 | $44,460 | $142,240 | 420 | 0.22 | 0.85 |
| 7 | North Dakota profile | $37.29 | $77,570 | $56,380 | $121,580 | 100 | 0.22 | 0.86 |
| 8 | Washington profile | $36.93 | $76,820 | $53,500 | $137,690 | 1,690 | 0.48 | 1.85 |
| 9 | Maryland profile | $36.89 | $76,740 | $51,890 | $123,090 | 360 | 0.13 | 0.51 |
| 10 | New York profile | $36.78 | $76,490 | $51,990 | $109,530 | 1,940 | 0.20 | 0.78 |
| 11 | Maine profile | $36.71 | $76,360 | $52,170 | $76,360 | 620 | 0.96 | 3.75 |
| 12 | Nevada profile | $36.46 | $75,830 | $43,010 | $123,050 | 250 | 0.16 | 0.64 |
| 13 | Massachusetts profile | $36.29 | $75,490 | $52,660 | $108,020 | 620 | 0.17 | 0.67 |
| 14 | Oregon profile | $35.58 | $74,000 | $53,950 | $122,470 | 410 | 0.21 | 0.81 |
| 15 | Minnesota profile | $35.14 | $73,090 | $52,380 | $100,080 | 1,220 | 0.42 | 1.61 |
| 16 | Vermont profile | $35.12 | $73,040 | $51,700 | $105,980 | 70 | 0.22 | 0.84 |
| 17 | Michigan profile | $34.75 | $72,280 | $47,100 | $112,170 | 2,030 | 0.46 | 1.80 |
| 18 | Ohio profile | $33.93 | $70,580 | $49,400 | $98,740 | 1,790 | 0.32 | 1.26 |
| 19 | Utah profile | $33.65 | $70,000 | $47,840 | $101,020 | 490 | 0.28 | 1.09 |
| 20 | Virginia profile | $33.48 | $69,630 | $47,840 | $94,800 | 630 | 0.16 | 0.60 |
| 21 | Rhode Island profile | $33.31 | $69,290 | $42,070 | $96,830 | 100 | 0.20 | 0.76 |
| 22 | Kentucky profile | $33.12 | $68,880 | $50,530 | $96,020 | 510 | 0.26 | 1.00 |
| 23 | Connecticut profile | $33.09 | $68,830 | $42,530 | $103,380 | 450 | 0.26 | 1.02 |
| 24 | Florida profile | $32.72 | $68,050 | $45,760 | $100,400 | 1,540 | 0.16 | 0.60 |
| 25 | Arizona profile | $32.41 | $67,410 | $46,360 | $104,870 | 630 | 0.19 | 0.76 |
| 26 | Georgia profile | $32.06 | $66,670 | $49,920 | $107,140 | 820 | 0.17 | 0.65 |
| 27 | Missouri profile | $31.90 | $66,350 | $49,750 | $108,120 | 870 | 0.30 | 1.15 |
| 28 | Kansas profile | $31.37 | $65,250 | $45,870 | $100,380 | 540 | 0.38 | 1.47 |
| 29 | West Virginia profile | $31.30 | $65,100 | $51,270 | $99,540 | 140 | 0.20 | 0.76 |
| 30 | Wisconsin profile | $30.66 | $63,770 | $48,010 | $92,260 | 1,630 | 0.55 | 2.15 |
| 31 | South Carolina profile | $30.64 | $63,740 | $52,550 | $109,840 | 640 | 0.28 | 1.09 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania profile | $30.52 | $63,480 | $47,700 | $95,130 | 2,330 | 0.39 | 1.50 |
| 33 | Oklahoma profile | $30.50 | $63,440 | $42,130 | $92,040 | 650 | 0.38 | 1.49 |
| 34 | Tennessee profile | $30.48 | $63,390 | $47,440 | $96,210 | 740 | 0.23 | 0.88 |
| 35 | Iowa profile | $30.45 | $63,330 | $46,760 | $95,370 | 630 | 0.41 | 1.58 |
| 36 | Illinois profile | $30.44 | $63,320 | $56,710 | $94,930 | 450 | 0.07 | 0.29 |
| 37 | Indiana profile | $30.20 | $62,820 | $45,470 | $88,470 | 1,300 | 0.41 | 1.58 |
| 38 | Nebraska profile | $29.41 | $61,170 | $43,150 | $92,160 | 530 | 0.52 | 2.01 |
| 39 | Wyoming profile | $29.36 | $61,070 | $49,850 | $92,570 | 60 | 0.21 | 0.81 |
| 40 | Mississippi profile | $29.07 | $60,460 | $38,520 | $105,120 | 260 | 0.23 | 0.88 |
| 41 | Arkansas profile | $28.83 | $59,960 | $48,850 | $81,010 | 250 | 0.19 | 0.74 |
| 42 | Idaho profile | $28.39 | $59,050 | $46,190 | $104,100 | 330 | 0.38 | 1.49 |
| 43 | North Carolina profile | $28.39 | $59,050 | $45,490 | $84,560 | 1,350 | 0.27 | 1.06 |
| 44 | Delaware profile | $27.46 | $57,110 | $49,000 | $84,750 | 160 | 0.33 | 1.26 |
| 45 | New Hampshire profile | $26.63 | $55,390 | $39,990 | $87,070 | ** | ** | ** |
| 46 | Alabama profile | $25.77 | $53,600 | $39,630 | $89,600 | 440 | 0.21 | 0.81 |
| 47 | South Dakota profile | $25.29 | $52,610 | $41,760 | $68,620 | 100 | 0.22 | 0.87 |
| – | Alaska profile | * | * | * | * | 50 | 0.14 | 0.55 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (17-3010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Architecture and Engineering Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 17-3013 Mechanical Drafters.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 17-3013, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 17-3013.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.