2027 Salary Guide · Drafting and design
BLS does not track CAD designer as its own occupation, so this guide uses Mechanical Drafters, where O*NET files the CAD Designer title. That group's median was $71,550 in May 2025, about $76,000 for 2027 planning, or $34.40 an hour. Discipline matters: electrical drafters earn a higher median and architectural and civil drafters a lower one.
Pay distribution
The 10th percentile was $48,360 and the 90th was $106,580. Most CAD designers in product, tooling and equipment design fall within this range. CAD designers who work on buildings or site plans are counted by BLS as architectural and civil drafters instead, so the page shows that group too.
Typical for the CAD Designer title: $58,080 to $86,120 (25th to 75th percentile of Mechanical Drafters)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,360 | $51,500 |
| 25th percentile | $58,080 | $61,500 |
| Median | $71,550 | $76,000 |
| 75th percentile | $86,120 | $91,500 |
| 90th percentile | $106,580 | $113,500 |
Most CAD designers are classified as drafters; this uses Mechanical Drafters.
By discipline
BLS splits drafters by the kind of drawing they produce. A CAD designer's title rarely says which, but the pay benchmark changes with it.
| Drafting discipline | What the drawings cover | BLS median, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and electronics drafters | Wiring diagrams and layouts for power systems, buildings and electronics | $76,870 |
| Mechanical drafters (used on this page) | Machinery and mechanical devices: dimensions, fastening, assembly | $71,550 |
| Architectural and civil drafters | Buildings, site plans and topographic maps for roads, bridges and dams | $66,150 |
| Drafters, all other | Specialties not listed separately | $63,520 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Drafters (May 2025 wages).
Local pay
The Bay Area ($98,310), Seattle ($94,470) and Denver ($90,160) post the highest medians. Dallas-Fort Worth has the most mechanical drafters of the 29 metros, about 1,620, and pays $83,200. Several Southeast metros, including Charlotte, Nashville and Raleigh, sit below $63,000, roughly $36,000 under the Bay Area.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | $98,310 +37% | $69,550 – $125,320 | 390 |
| Seattle | $94,470 +32% | $59,670 – $137,690 | 1,020 |
| Denver | $90,160 +26% | $60,840 – $127,880 | 380 |
| New York City | $84,070 +17% | $61,420 – $124,490 | 1,180 |
| San Diego | $83,550 +17% | $59,780 – $130,870 | 370 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $83,200 +16% | $56,440 – $94,260 | 1,620 |
| Los Angeles | $80,780 +13% | $49,130 – $128,160 | 1,480 |
| Portland | $80,510 +13% | $53,740 – $126,700 | 410 |
| Houston | $78,820 +10% | $54,990 – $130,490 | 1,300 |
| Hartford | $78,790 +10% | $56,880 – $104,400 | 130 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore | $78,350 +10% | $51,890 – $119,930 | 210 |
| Boston | $78,210 +9% | $52,000 – $116,720 | 410 |
| Austin | $77,160 +8% | $54,440 – $101,030 | 310 |
| Washington, DC | $76,600 +7% | $61,530 – $128,600 | 190 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $75,770 +6% | $57,130 – $101,990 | 830 |
| Atlanta | $75,360 +5% | $56,760 – $113,450 | 500 |
| Detroit | $75,050 +5% | $47,110 – $120,450 | 970 |
| Philadelphia | $74,100 +4% | $50,760 – $130,320 | 730 |
| Miami | $73,230 +2% | $46,510 – $103,590 | 340 |
| Chicago | $72,540 +1% | $52,110 – $98,230 | 320 |
| Albany | $72,500 +1% | $49,780 – $106,980 | 160 |
| Tampa | $72,170 +1% | $52,020 – $98,120 | 230 |
| Buffalo | $71,920 +1% | $48,860 – $98,210 | 200 |
| Providence | $69,990 -2% | $46,080 – $101,460 | 160 |
| Pittsburgh | $69,550 -3% | $47,490 – $90,290 | 540 |
| Phoenix | $67,600 -6% | $47,990 – $105,910 | 510 |
| Charlotte | $62,890 -12% | $48,590 – $88,570 | 400 |
| Nashville | $62,420 -13% | $50,290 – $92,630 | 180 |
| Raleigh | $61,220 -14% | $48,320 – $84,080 | 200 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
Software and skills
O*NET lists AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Revit, MicroStation and SolidWorks among the software mechanical drafters use. The tool matters less than what you do with it.
O*NET's first-listed task for the occupation is producing three-dimensional models in CAD. Designers who build and manage parametric models and assemblies, rather than only producing 2D drawings, are the ones in the upper half of the range.
Tasks such as modifying designs to fix operating problems and creating bills of materials move a drafter toward a designer role. Postings that say "designer" rather than "drafter" usually expect this.
Tooling, die and mold design are specialized work; O*NET lists Die Designer and Tooling Designer as reported titles. Knowing the drawing and tolerancing standards an industry uses makes a designer easier to place.
BLS says certification is not mandatory but shows competence in nationally recognized practices. Credentials exist for mechanical, architectural and civil drafting.
Outlook
BLS projects a decline (-1% or lower) for mechanical drafters through 2035. The occupation has about 42,100 jobs and still expects about 2,900 openings a year, mostly to replace drafters who retire or change careers.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Mechanical Drafters as a whole.
Career outlook
BLS attributes the expected decline to CAD and building information modeling (BIM) software. These tools make each drafter more productive and let engineers and architects handle work drafters once did, so fewer drafting positions are needed for the same output.
That pressure falls hardest on pure 2D drafting. Roles that combine modeling with design judgment, such as tooling design or product design support, hold up better and sit higher in the pay range. With about 2,900 openings a year, there is still steady hiring, but the openings favor designers who can work in 3D and take on design changes.
BLS says drafters typically need an associate degree in drafting or a related field, and certificate programs are a shorter alternative. Some designers use that base to move on to an engineering technology or engineering degree, which is the clearest route to a higher pay scale.
Compare
Mechanical engineers earn about $32,560 more than mechanical drafters at the median, which is why many CAD designers treat an engineering degree as the next step. CNC machinists, who make parts from the drawings, earn about $20,860 less.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAD Designer | $71,550 | $76,000 | Decline |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 | $110,500 | Much faster than average |
| Manufacturing Engineer | $102,440 | $109,000 | Much faster than average |
| CNC Machinist | $50,690 | $54,000 | Decline |
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 | $107,000 | Faster than average |
FAQ
Using BLS data for mechanical drafters, the occupation that includes the CAD Designer title, the median was $71,550 a year in May 2025. The middle half earned $58,080 to $86,120. A 2027 planning median, adding two years of wage growth, is about $76,000.
BLS hourly data for mechanical drafters shows a median of $34.40 an hour in May 2025, with the 10th percentile at $23.25 and the 90th at $51.24. Contract CAD work is often billed hourly. Designers working on buildings in AutoCAD or Revit fall under architectural and civil drafters, whose annual median was $66,150.
BLS has no starting-rate figure for new CAD hires. The 10th percentile for mechanical drafters was $48,360 in May 2025 and the 25th percentile was $58,080, a fair range for first offers. BLS says drafters typically need an associate degree in drafting or a related field, and certificate programs are a shorter route in.
BLS files both titles under mechanical drafters. O*NET lists CAD Designer, CAD Operator, Mechanical Designer and Design Drafter as reported titles for mechanical drafters. In practice, designer titles often expect more 3D modeling and design changes, which tends to put them in the upper half of the drafter range.
BLS projects a decline for mechanical drafters through 2035 because CAD and BIM tools let engineers and architects do more drafting themselves. The occupation still expects about 2,900 openings a year, and designers with strong 3D modeling skills are better placed than those who only produce 2D drawings.
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