Architectural and Civil Drafters pay in the U.S.
$70,740avg. a year
$34.01 an hour · 103,700 employed
Architectural and Civil Drafters in the U.S. earn an average of $70,740 a year and a median of $66,150. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($96,900) and lowest in South Dakota ($55,530).
$66,150Median pay
$34.01Average hourly
+20%Avg. pay since 2020
103,700Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for architectural and civil drafters
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1370 jobs
District of Columbia
$96,900
$46.59 an hour
211,400 jobs
California
$80,360
$38.64 an hour
33,570 jobs
Colorado
$78,240
$37.62 an hour
47,380 jobs
New York
$78,160
$37.58 an hour
52,660 jobs
Massachusetts
$77,110
$37.07 an hour
6910 jobs
Maryland
$75,990
$36.54 an hour
73,970 jobs
Georgia
$75,040
$36.08 an hour
81,490 jobs
Oregon
$74,430
$35.79 an hour
92,530 jobs
Washington
$74,420
$35.78 an hour
10240 jobs
Rhode Island
$73,900
$35.53 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Architectural and Civil Drafters pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $64k$64k–$68k$68k–$72k$72k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $93,870 | $45.13 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89,290 | $42.93 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $83,770 | $40.27 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $83,110 | $39.96 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $80,760 | $38.83 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $80,650 | $38.78 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $79,580 | $38.26 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $79,500 | $38.22 |
Related jobs
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$80,680
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$70,700
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$68,990
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other$80,960
- Surveying and Mapping Technicians$58,000
- Mechanical Drafters$75,060
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Architectural and Civil Drafters pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,890 | $57,100 | 1,010 |
| Arizona | $69,550 | $64,750 | 2,120 |
| Arkansas | $65,910 | $62,420 | 980 |
| California | $80,360 | $76,520 | 11,400 |
| Colorado | $78,240 | $76,370 | 3,570 |
| Connecticut | $73,150 | $76,290 | 810 |
| Delaware | $70,130 | $73,040 | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $96,900 | $97,880 | 370 |
| Florida | $65,550 | $62,640 | 7,530 |
| Georgia | $75,040 | $74,940 | 3,970 |
| Hawaii | $68,230 | $63,510 | 610 |
| Idaho | $66,900 | $61,840 | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $63,050 | $58,240 | 1,310 |
| Indiana | $64,350 | $60,000 | 2,240 |
| Iowa | $69,410 | $64,220 | 980 |
| Kansas | $63,790 | $62,220 | 630 |
| Kentucky | $62,850 | $60,120 | 870 |
| Louisiana | $68,500 | $61,010 | 1,040 |
| Maine | $68,240 | $66,200 | 440 |
| Maryland | $75,990 | $75,180 | 910 |
| Massachusetts | $77,110 | $76,990 | 2,660 |
| Michigan | $62,210 | $58,330 | 2,100 |
| Minnesota | $72,220 | $70,680 | 1,930 |
| Mississippi | $60,660 | $59,920 | 330 |
| Missouri | $66,460 | $61,940 | 2,270 |
| Montana | $67,500 | $65,750 | 600 |
| Nebraska | $65,950 | $61,550 | 850 |
| Nevada | $72,990 | $67,000 | 1,100 |
| New Hampshire | $68,940 | $65,300 | 400 |
| New Jersey | $67,820 | $62,960 | 2,280 |
| New Mexico | $57,740 | $50,230 | 690 |
| New York | $78,160 | $76,260 | 7,380 |
| North Carolina | $66,430 | $62,750 | 2,680 |
| North Dakota | $67,570 | $64,720 | 380 |
| Ohio | $64,030 | $61,450 | 2,860 |
| Oklahoma | $64,410 | $62,140 | 1,260 |
| Oregon | $74,430 | $74,000 | 1,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $69,080 | $64,800 | 5,370 |
| Rhode Island | $73,900 | $71,700 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $68,320 | $64,680 | 1,170 |
| South Dakota | $55,530 | $52,470 | 460 |
| Tennessee | $70,720 | $69,220 | 1,310 |
| Texas | $68,600 | $63,320 | 11,710 |
| Utah | $69,460 | $64,290 | 1,820 |
| Vermont | $61,820 | $61,000 | 230 |
| Virginia | $67,510 | $63,450 | 2,600 |
| Washington | $74,420 | $73,000 | 2,530 |
| West Virginia | $68,290 | $65,640 | 330 |
| Wisconsin | $68,880 | $62,930 | 2,200 |
| Wyoming | $64,460 | $63,730 | 200 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$79,250
6,710 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$69,680
4,130 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$79,180
3,890 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$69,890
3,360 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$79,580
2,170 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$78,360
2,150 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$83,770
2,120 jobsPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$72,370
2,110 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do architectural and civil drafters make?
The average is $70,740 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $66,150 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $34.01, and the median is $31.80 an hour.
Which state pays architectural and civil drafters the most?
District of Columbia, with an average of $96,900 a year. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $93,870.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $46,260 a year, and the top 10% earn over $99,710.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 17-3011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.