Architectural and Civil Drafters Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for architectural and civil drafterss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$96,900
- California$80,360
- Colorado$78,240
- New York$78,160
- Massachusetts$77,110
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$55,530
- New Mexico$57,740
- Alabama$57,890
- Mississippi$60,660
- Vermont$61,820
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $96,900 | $97,880 | $47 | +37% | 370 |
| 2 | California | $80,360 | $76,520 | $39 | +13.6% | 11,400 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,240 | $76,370 | $38 | +10.6% | 3,570 |
| 4 | New York | $78,160 | $76,260 | $38 | +10.5% | 7,380 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $77,110 | $76,990 | $37 | +9% | 2,660 |
| 6 | Maryland | $75,990 | $75,180 | $37 | +7.4% | 910 |
| 7 | Georgia | $75,040 | $74,940 | $36 | +6.1% | 3,970 |
| 8 | Oregon | $74,430 | $74,000 | $36 | +5.2% | 1,490 |
| 9 | Washington | $74,420 | $73,000 | $36 | +5.2% | 2,530 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $73,900 | $71,700 | $36 | +4.5% | 240 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $73,150 | $76,290 | $35 | +3.4% | 810 |
| 12 | Nevada | $72,990 | $67,000 | $35 | +3.2% | 1,100 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $72,220 | $70,680 | $35 | +2.1% | 1,930 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $70,720 | $69,220 | $34 | +0% | 1,310 |
| 15 | Delaware | $70,130 | $73,040 | $34 | -0.9% | 290 |
| 16 | Arizona | $69,550 | $64,750 | $33 | -1.7% | 2,120 |
| 17 | Utah | $69,460 | $64,290 | $33 | -1.8% | 1,820 |
| 18 | Iowa | $69,410 | $64,220 | $33 | -1.9% | 980 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $69,080 | $64,800 | $33 | -2.3% | 5,370 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $68,940 | $65,300 | $33 | -2.5% | 400 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $68,880 | $62,930 | $33 | -2.6% | 2,200 |
| 22 | Texas | $68,600 | $63,320 | $33 | -3% | 11,710 |
| 23 | Louisiana | $68,500 | $61,010 | $33 | -3.2% | 1,040 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $68,320 | $64,680 | $33 | -3.4% | 1,170 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $68,290 | $65,640 | $33 | -3.5% | 330 |
| 26 | Maine | $68,240 | $66,200 | $33 | -3.5% | 440 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $68,230 | $63,510 | $33 | -3.5% | 610 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $67,820 | $62,960 | $33 | -4.1% | 2,280 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $67,570 | $64,720 | $32 | -4.5% | 380 |
| 30 | Virginia | $67,510 | $63,450 | $32 | -4.6% | 2,600 |
| 31 | Montana | $67,500 | $65,750 | $32 | -4.6% | 600 |
| 32 | Idaho | $66,900 | $61,840 | $32 | -5.4% | 1,010 |
| 33 | Missouri | $66,460 | $61,940 | $32 | -6.1% | 2,270 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $66,430 | $62,750 | $32 | -6.1% | 2,680 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $65,950 | $61,550 | $32 | -6.8% | 850 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $65,910 | $62,420 | $32 | -6.8% | 980 |
| 37 | Florida | $65,550 | $62,640 | $32 | -7.3% | 7,530 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $64,460 | $63,730 | $31 | -8.9% | 200 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $64,410 | $62,140 | $31 | -8.9% | 1,260 |
| 40 | Indiana | $64,350 | $60,000 | $31 | -9% | 2,240 |
| 41 | Ohio | $64,030 | $61,450 | $31 | -9.5% | 2,860 |
| 42 | Kansas | $63,790 | $62,220 | $31 | -9.8% | 630 |
| 43 | Illinois | $63,050 | $58,240 | $30 | -10.9% | 1,310 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $62,850 | $60,120 | $30 | -11.2% | 870 |
| 45 | Michigan | $62,210 | $58,330 | $30 | -12.1% | 2,100 |
| 46 | Vermont | $61,820 | $61,000 | $30 | -12.6% | 230 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $60,660 | $59,920 | $29 | -14.2% | 330 |
| 48 | Alabama | $57,890 | $57,100 | $28 | -18.2% | 1,010 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $57,740 | $50,230 | $28 | -18.4% | 690 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $55,530 | $52,470 | $27 | -21.5% | 460 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 376 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $84,440 | $78,920 | 110 |
| 2 | Rochester, MN | $83,780 | $83,220 | 60 |
| 3 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $83,630 | $75,970 | 40 |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $82,820 | $93,870 | 610 |
| 5 | Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | $81,370 | $75,860 | 40 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $81,130 | $89,290 | 1,750 |
| 7 | Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $81,070 | $78,120 | 60 |
| 8 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $80,040 | $83,110 | 150 |
| 9 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $79,860 | $83,770 | 2,120 |
| 10 | Lake Charles, LA | $79,540 | $90,720 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing architectural and civil drafterss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $107,680 | $100,340 | 40 |
| 2 | Water, Sewage and Other Systems | $96,080 | $106,410 | 50 |
| 3 | Drywall and Insulation Contractors | $88,770 | $88,340 | 80 |
| 4 | Utilities | $87,000 | $90,170 | 300 |
| 5 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $87,000 | $90,170 | 300 |
| 6 | Waste Management and Remediation Services | $86,390 | $102,610 | 60 |
| 7 | Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $86,390 | $102,610 | 60 |
| 8 | Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $85,770 | $91,260 | 260 |
| 9 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $85,680 | $87,870 | 170 |
| 10 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $84,800 | $86,100 | 100 |
| 11 | Hospitals | $84,000 | $88,300 | 70 |
| 12 | Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $82,600 | $82,840 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do architectural and civil drafters make in the U.S.?
The median architectural and civil drafters salary in the United States is $66,150 per year (mean $70,740), and about 80% earn between $46,260 and $99,710.
How much do architectural and civil drafters make per hour?
Roughly $34 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $70,740 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays architectural and civil drafters the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for architectural and civil drafters at $96,900 per year (median $97,880).
What is the job outlook for architectural and civil drafters?
Employment is projected to change +4.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 10,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.