Drafter and CAD Designer salary: $125K median
The median advertised Drafter and CAD Designer salary is $125K a year, and the middle half of postings offer $106K to $154K: counted from 45 open roles that publish a yearly US-dollar range: about $60 an hour or $10,417 a month. A tenth of the postings offer $185K or more. Advertised ranges, not verified pay.
Check an offer against these figuresAll drafter and CAD designer jobs
$125Kmedian advertised salary
$106K – $154Kmiddle half of roles
$132Kaverage advertised salary
45roles counted
Drafter and CAD Designer salary by location
| Name | Median salary | Roles counted |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸California | $154K | 22 |
| 🇺🇸United States | $128K | 43 |
Skills that pay more for Drafter and CAD Designer roles
| Skill | Median with it | Above the median | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding | $154K | +$28K | 5 |
| Siemens NX | $154K | +$28K | 11 |
| Sensor fusion | $154K | +$28K | 8 |
| Security clearance | $154K | +$28K | 8 |
| Mechatronics | $154K | +$28K | 5 |
Top-paying companies
| Name | Median salary | Roles counted |
|---|---|---|
| Valar Atomics | $176K | 4 |
| Anduril Industries | $154K | 8 |
| ALTEN Technology USA | $106K | 7 |
Highest-paying open Drafter and CAD Designer roles
All drafter and CAD designer jobs- Lead Mechanical Designer, TurbomachineryValar Atomics · 🇺🇸Torrance, California, United States$200K - $295KLead and aboveCADGD&TSiemens NX
- BIM Designer & Coordinator: CivilOpenAI · 🇺🇸US - Remote$141K - $285KRemoteStorage systemsPCB designLidar
- ASIC/SOC CAD EngineerMatx · 🇺🇸Mountain View (HQ) or Remote$160K - $275KRemotePythonPerl
- Staff Electrical DesignerValar Atomics · 🇺🇸Torrance, California, United States$173K - $211KLead and aboveNISTCADHVAC
- BIM EngineerFluidstack · 🇺🇸Austin, TX$164K - $206K
- Physical Design and CAD EngineerAstera Labs · 🇺🇸San Jose, California, United States$160K - $200KPythonHardware interfacesCompilers
- Drafter, EWAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$147K - $196KComputer VisionSecurity clearanceMechatronics
- CAD AdministratorAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Mountain View, California, United States$140K - $186KJiraComputer VisionSecurity clearance
- Sr CAD Administrator, Engineering ApplicationsRelativity Space · 🇺🇸Long Beach, California, United States$122K - $182KSeniorPythonC++
- CAD AdministratorPacific Fusion · 🇺🇸San Leandro, CA$140K - $180KPython.NET
- Specialist Lab Piping Designer (Buildings)General Matter · 🇺🇸Los Angeles, CA$90K - $175KPythonHVACAutoCAD
- Mechanical Designer, Plant & PipingGeneral Matter · 🇺🇸Los Angeles, CA$80K - $170KDesign systemsCADHVAC
- Senior CAD DesignerSalient Motion · 🇺🇸Hawthorne, CA$150K - $170KSenior
- CAD AdministratorPacific Fusion · 🇺🇸Los Lunas, NM$118K - $151KPython.NET
- 3D Plant Layout Engineer – Revit/BIM SpecialistALTEN Technology USA · 🇺🇸Austin, TX$125K - $150KDesign systemsCADConstruction management
- Mechanical DesignerALTEN Technology USA · 🇺🇸Mukilteo, Washington, United States$110K - $150KCADGD&TSolidWorks
- Senior Mechanical Designer - Fuel RecyclingOklo · 🇺🇸Oak Ridge, TN or Remote$100K - $150KRemoteSenior
- Electrical Designer (Construction)SpaceX · 🇺🇸Hawthorne, CA$105K - $140KIndustrial automationPLCLow voltage
- MEP BIM Coordination ManagerBRAVO - A Cooperative Company · 🇺🇸New York, New York, United States$90K - $140KAgilePE licenseSAST/DAST
- BIM Design EngineerMarianaminerals · 🇺🇸Houston, TX$100K - $140KPython
Questions about Drafter and CAD Designer pay
- What is the average Drafter and CAD Designer salary?
- $132K a year on average and $125K at the median, across 45 open Drafter and CAD Designer postings at companies that state pay (November 2026). The median is the better guide: a few very high offers pull the average up.
- What is the typical range?
- The middle half of the postings offer $106K to $154K a year. A quarter offer less and a quarter offer more.
- Which companies advertise the highest Drafter and CAD Designer pay?
- Valar Atomics ($176K), Anduril Industries ($154K), ALTEN Technology USA ($106K), by the median of their open postings that state pay (three postings or more).
- Is a drafter and cad designer a high-paying job?
- The median Drafter and CAD Designer posting advertises $125K a year, less than the median of all 55,899 job postings with pay on Jobs Every Hour ($174K). That is 28% below the middle of the market.
- How much can you earn as a drafter and cad designer?
- A tenth of the postings offer $185K a year or more; the highest open Drafter and CAD Designer role advertises up to $295K. Pay rises with level: see the table by level.
- What is the Drafter and CAD Designer salary per hour and per month?
- The median of $125K a year is about $60 an hour (2,080 working hours) and $10,417 a month before tax. The middle half of postings: $51 to $74 an hour.
- Which skills pay more for Drafter and CAD Designer roles?
- Postings that ask for Welding (+$28K, 5 postings), Siemens NX (+$28K, 11 postings), Sensor fusion (+$28K, 8 postings) advertise more than the $125K median of all Drafter and CAD Designer postings with pay.
- Where do these figures come from?
- From the pay ranges employers print in their own job postings, read from their careers pages every hour. The midpoint of each range is counted. These are advertised ranges for open roles, mostly in the United States and in US dollars, not what people are actually paid.
Writing about this? A sentence you can quote
The median advertised salary for Drafter and CAD Designer roles at companies is $125K a year, and the middle half of postings offer $106K to $154K. Counted from 45 open job postings that state pay, November 2026. Source: Jobs Every Hour, https://jobseveryhour.com/salaries/cad-designer/
Free to use with the link.