17 Series · SOC 17-3019
Drafters, All Other Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $63,520
- Median / year
- $99,380
- Top 10% earn
- -6.9%
- Growth '23–'33
- 14,470
- US workers
Drafters, All Other earn a median of $63,520 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $63,520, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $43,420 (10th percentile) to $99,380 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 14,470 US workers. New Jersey pays the most ($77,840), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Drafters, All Other earn a median of $63,520, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 54% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Architecture and Engineering, it ranks #34 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 6.9% by 2033.
- $63,520
- Median annual wage
- Top 46%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #34 of 36
- in Architecture and Engineering
- 2.3×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: New Jersey at $77,840. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
Drafters, All Other (SOC 17-3019) pays a national median of $63,520 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $43,420 at the 10th percentile to $99,380 at the 90th, with a mean of $68,250 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 14,470 Americans work in this occupation across 41 reporting states and 91 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -6.9% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,300 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Associate's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 2 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. New Jersey pays the highest state median at $77,840, which is +23% above the national figure. The top metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $90,850 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$63,520
per year
Median Hourly
$30.54/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$68,250
average
Employment
14,470
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Drafters, All Other pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$63,520 Top 46% higher than 54% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 17-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Drafters, All Other; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 17-series occupations with growth data, Drafters, All Other sits on the slower-growing side at -6.9% growth and $63,520 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-6.9%
Declining
Annual Openings
1,300
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Associate's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
2/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$43,420
25th Percentile
$51,650
Median
$63,520
75th Percentile
$79,700
90th Percentile
$99,380
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 41 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $77,840 | +23% above national |
| 2 | California | $73,390 | +16% above national |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $73,040 | +15% above national |
| 4 | Washington | $72,800 | +15% above national |
| 5 | New York | $72,190 | +14% above national |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $72,100 | +14% above national |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $70,710 | +11% above national |
| 8 | Arizona | $70,070 | +10% above national |
| 9 | Utah | $69,420 | +9% above national |
| 10 | Louisiana | $68,470 | +8% above national |
| 11 | Michigan | $67,750 | +7% above national |
| 12 | Mississippi | $67,730 | +7% above national |
| 13 | Colorado | $67,320 | +6% above national |
| 14 | Virginia | $67,220 | +6% above national |
| 15 | Connecticut | $66,620 | +5% above national |
| 16 | Kansas | $66,040 | +4% above national |
| 17 | Minnesota | $63,220 | same as national |
| 18 | Montana | $63,200 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Georgia | $62,400 | 2% below national |
| 20 | Nevada | $62,400 | 2% below national |
| 21 | Missouri | $61,990 | 2% below national |
| 22 | South Carolina | $61,250 | 4% below national |
| 23 | Iowa | $60,750 | 4% below national |
| 24 | Texas | $59,990 | 6% below national |
| 25 | Florida | $59,970 | 6% below national |
| 26 | Vermont | $59,930 | 6% below national |
| 27 | Puerto Rico | $59,870 | 6% below national |
| 28 | North Carolina | $59,500 | 6% below national |
| 29 | Oregon | $58,790 | 7% below national |
| 30 | Nebraska | $58,640 | 8% below national |
| 31 | Indiana | $58,600 | 8% below national |
| 32 | Kentucky | $57,930 | 9% below national |
| 33 | Ohio | $57,610 | 9% below national |
| 34 | Idaho | $56,430 | 11% below national |
| 35 | Maryland | $55,640 | 12% below national |
| 36 | Maine | $55,460 | 13% below national |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $54,240 | 15% below national |
| 38 | Illinois | $53,300 | 16% below national |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $49,920 | 21% below national |
| 40 | Arkansas | $48,020 | 24% below national |
| 41 | Alabama | $47,320 | 26% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 91 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90,850 | +43% above national |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $82,360 | +30% above national |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $81,220 | +28% above national |
| 4 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $80,470 | +27% above national |
| 5 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $79,960 | +26% above national |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $78,020 | +23% above national |
| 7 | Baton Rouge, LA | $77,020 | +21% above national |
| 8 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $76,330 | +20% above national |
| 9 | Fresno, CA | $75,150 | +18% above national |
| 10 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $75,090 | +18% above national |
| 11 | Boulder, CO | $74,630 | +17% above national |
| 12 | Alexandria, LA | $74,540 | +17% above national |
| 13 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $74,380 | +17% above national |
| 14 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $74,000 | +16% above national |
| 15 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $73,880 | +16% above national |
| 16 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $73,840 | +16% above national |
| 17 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $73,100 | +15% above national |
| 18 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $73,080 | +15% above national |
| 19 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $72,990 | +15% above national |
| 20 | Missoula, MT | $72,520 | +14% above national |
| 21 | Lake Charles, LA | $71,690 | +13% above national |
| 22 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $70,320 | +11% above national |
| 23 | Tucson, AZ | $69,810 | +10% above national |
| 24 | Modesto, CA | $68,850 | +8% above national |
| 25 | Syracuse, NY | $68,500 | +8% above national |
| 26 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $68,020 | +7% above national |
| 27 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $67,770 | +7% above national |
| 28 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $67,670 | +7% above national |
| 29 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $67,320 | +6% above national |
| 30 | Richmond, VA | $66,710 | +5% above national |
| 31 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $66,240 | +4% above national |
| 32 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $66,010 | +4% above national |
| 33 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $65,870 | +4% above national |
| 34 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $64,490 | +2% above national |
| 35 | Billings, MT | $64,490 | +2% above national |
| 36 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $64,330 | +1% above national |
| 37 | Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $64,060 | +1% above national |
| 38 | Ogden, UT | $63,780 | same as national |
| 39 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $63,540 | same as national |
| 40 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $63,330 | same as national |
| 41 | Bozeman, MT | $63,200 | 1% below national |
| 42 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $62,840 | 1% below national |
| 43 | West Montana nonmetropolitan area | $62,800 | 1% below national |
| 44 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $62,610 | 1% below national |
| 45 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $62,500 | 2% below national |
| 46 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $62,500 | 2% below national |
| 47 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $62,410 | 2% below national |
| 48 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $62,400 | 2% below national |
| 49 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $62,080 | 2% below national |
| 50 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $61,800 | 3% below national |
| 51 | Rochester, NY | $61,530 | 3% below national |
| 52 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $61,360 | 3% below national |
| 53 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $61,260 | 4% below national |
| 54 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $61,200 | 4% below national |
| 55 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $60,950 | 4% below national |
| 56 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $60,950 | 4% below national |
| 57 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $60,820 | 4% below national |
| 58 | Jacksonville, FL | $60,600 | 5% below national |
| 59 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $60,600 | 5% below national |
| 60 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $60,520 | 5% below national |
| 61 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $60,310 | 5% below national |
| 62 | Lafayette, LA | $60,270 | 5% below national |
| 63 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $59,970 | 6% below national |
| 64 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $59,970 | 6% below national |
| 65 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $59,810 | 6% below national |
| 66 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $59,520 | 6% below national |
| 67 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $59,300 | 7% below national |
| 68 | Longview, TX | $58,900 | 7% below national |
| 69 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $58,810 | 7% below national |
| 70 | Salem, OR | $58,800 | 7% below national |
| 71 | Cleveland, OH | $58,690 | 8% below national |
| 72 | Lincoln, NE | $58,690 | 8% below national |
| 73 | Omaha, NE-IA | $58,650 | 8% below national |
| 74 | Lubbock, TX | $58,430 | 8% below national |
| 75 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $57,990 | 9% below national |
| 76 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $57,940 | 9% below national |
| 77 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $56,460 | 11% below national |
| 78 | El Paso, TX | $56,420 | 11% below national |
| 79 | Green Bay, WI | $56,280 | 11% below national |
| 80 | Columbus, OH | $55,630 | 12% below national |
| 81 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $55,590 | 12% below national |
| 82 | Lancaster, PA | $55,560 | 13% below national |
| 83 | Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area | $55,120 | 13% below national |
| 84 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $53,300 | 16% below national |
| 85 | Tyler, TX | $51,100 | 20% below national |
| 86 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $50,130 | 21% below national |
| 87 | West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $48,020 | 24% below national |
| 88 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $47,860 | 25% below national |
| 89 | Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $46,080 | 27% below national |
| 90 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $37,750 | 41% below national |
| 91 | Knoxville, TN | $34,620 | 45% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 17 (architecture and engineering) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with this data
How to use Drafters, All Other pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $79,700/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: New Jersey leads at $77,840/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.