Salary guide, May 2025
CAD Designer / Drafter pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in the United States was $104,110 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $84,130 and $132,590.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $73,990 | $84,130 | $104,110 | $132,590 | $164,340 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.57 | $40.45 | $50.05 | $63.75 | $79.01 |
BLS estimated 296,810 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $99,660 | $78,490 to $127,810 | 2,000 | 0.37 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $100,290 | $85,340 to $127,330 | 1,220 | 0.44 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $103,380 | $82,830 to $128,920 | 1,720 | 0.64 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $100,000 | $81,420 to $124,360 | 1,810 | 1.28 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $109,990 | $92,180 to $137,060 | 6,960 | 0.38 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $109,990 | $92,180 to $137,060 | 6,960 | 0.38 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $105,420 | $87,200 to $132,840 | 5,600 | 0.73 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $102,070 | $83,140 to $130,310 | 6,900 | 0.8 |
Rank every metro for CAD Designer / Drafter
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$140,600
- Apparel Manufacturing (NAICS 315000)$125,070
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$119,150
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$114,990
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$106,870
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$106,350
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$105,560
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$104,820
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$104,420
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$102,200
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$101,990
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$101,350
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$100,930
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$99,680
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$98,620
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 130,930 | $82,490 | $101,570 | $127,800 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 41,730 | $79,580 | $98,620 | $123,220 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 31,460 | $87,140 | $105,560 | $132,370 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 29,420 | $79,340 | $97,620 | $120,800 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 18,290 | $93,970 | $106,870 | $134,480 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 14,590 | $77,410 | $94,320 | $110,060 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 12,060 | $99,760 | $112,900 | $149,430 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 10,800 | $92,000 | $106,210 | $134,920 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 8,750 | $83,290 | $102,410 | $126,410 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 7,160 | $82,920 | $101,350 | $124,470 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 6,820 | $78,910 | $97,340 | $116,340 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 5,510 | $76,180 | $88,160 | $106,140 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,080 | $83,680 | $102,200 | $126,730 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 4,940 | $97,010 | $107,240 | $134,140 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 4,420 | $99,020 | $124,400 | $135,750 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 4,330 | $98,690 | $121,670 | $140,660 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 3,820 | $75,440 | $87,120 | $104,250 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 3,690 | $75,800 | $92,110 | $110,700 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 3,220 | $93,170 | $106,290 | $128,530 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 3,190 | $75,920 | $92,560 | $113,820 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 3,170 | $81,020 | $96,660 | $120,210 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 3,080 | $85,900 | $104,950 | $130,830 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 3,060 | $82,490 | $98,120 | $118,360 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 2,650 | $98,540 | $119,150 | $140,430 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 2,470 | $82,030 | $100,280 | $127,540 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 2,400 | $81,470 | $98,170 | $120,660 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,380 | $80,770 | $97,190 | $122,130 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 2,300 | $81,760 | $99,680 | $115,860 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 2,000 | $79,470 | $96,910 | $119,520 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 1,980 | $76,950 | $84,370 | $99,470 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 1,890 | $101,380 | $124,010 | $144,670 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 1,340 | $97,710 | $106,870 | $134,840 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 1,180 | $99,420 | $115,720 | $130,670 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 910 | $82,750 | $105,030 | $133,740 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 900 | $90,680 | $106,350 | $131,820 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 870 | $98,870 | $114,990 | $131,350 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 740 | $124,430 | $140,600 | $165,480 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 740 | $124,430 | $140,600 | $165,480 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 700 | $72,270 | $81,710 | $100,270 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 690 | $82,260 | $97,170 | $125,100 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 670 | $70,170 | $80,600 | $98,420 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 660 | $82,760 | $97,320 | $107,020 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 620 | $89,710 | $103,280 | $130,300 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 620 | $83,200 | $100,930 | $118,460 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 620 | $78,590 | $92,820 | $105,730 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 530 | $74,220 | $99,990 | $115,580 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 510 | $75,000 | $87,180 | $102,840 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 480 | $106,780 | $124,140 | $136,700 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 470 | $85,520 | $106,650 | $128,760 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 400 | $83,350 | $103,380 | $124,700 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 390 | $102,020 | $121,740 | $144,950 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 390 | $75,790 | $93,380 | $110,480 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 380 | $96,450 | $106,660 | $119,580 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 370 | $84,090 | $98,280 | $106,450 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 310 | $75,260 | $90,020 | $105,880 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 310 | $84,800 | $102,300 | $114,830 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 290 | $100,780 | $125,380 | $146,000 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 250 | $74,530 | $84,360 | $104,190 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 250 | $83,090 | $98,010 | $112,430 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 200 | $93,820 | $104,820 | $115,760 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 190 | $93,950 | $104,980 | $115,760 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 150 | $85,540 | $107,220 | $124,050 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 120 | $81,810 | $99,180 | $124,630 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 110 | $66,800 | $74,460 | $87,800 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 100 | $91,370 | $96,570 | $104,150 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 90 | $92,010 | $101,990 | $131,570 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 90 | $65,180 | $85,590 | $105,270 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 80 | $103,970 | $117,350 | $131,040 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 70 | $97,810 | $105,810 | $134,390 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 70 | $65,160 | $81,410 | $102,390 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 40 | $84,990 | $113,160 | $140,040 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 40 | $82,650 | $92,230 | $101,990 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 40 | $82,640 | $104,420 | $129,120 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 40 | $82,640 | $104,420 | $129,120 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 40 | $98,180 | $111,900 | $139,990 |
| 315000 · 3-digit | Apparel Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $103,120 | $125,070 | $134,270 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For CAD Designer / Drafter, separate the guaranteed salary from any discretionary bonus or commission arrangement. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $81,800 | $102,320 | $130,290 |
| May 2025 | $84,130 | $104,110 | $132,590 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about an interview based on the work?
Build the interview around production-ready models and drawings under engineering direction. A practical discussion of a drawing revision with usable datums and controlled dimensions can test judgment without using confidential drawings or customer information. Those limits help establish drawing execution versus licensed engineering or design-release authority; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a CAD Designer / Drafter?
The median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in the United States was $104,110 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $84,130 and $132,590. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $73,990. 90% earned less than $164,340.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a CAD Designer / Drafter at a plant?
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 296,810 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
VP of Engineering pay Director of R&D pay Mechanical Design Engineer pay Product Development Engineer pay Electrical Design Engineer pay CAD Designer / Drafter pay ranked across all metros Open jobs CAD Designer / Drafter recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters reviews the CAD Designer / Drafter position within the 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers occupation. The national median for this broader category is $104,110 as of May 2025, up from $102,320 in May 2024. The middle-band width is $48,460, determined by a P25 of $84,130 and a P75 of $132,590.
Users should be aware that because BLS classifies this role under a broader engineering SOC title, the figures include a wide variety of engineering roles. This means the medians for design and drafting specifically may be lower than the mechanical engineering average.
Comparing employment hubs, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn reports a median of $109,470, while the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area shows a median of $123,900. The band widths for these metros are $34,640 and $50,840, respectively. In the national manufacturing market, Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reports a median of $140,600, while Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing reports $125,380. These benchmarks represent high-value engineering sectors, which are useful for understanding the broader market for technical drawing and design roles.
Effective recruitment for design and drafting roles requires screening for accuracy in drawing revisions and the ability to apply correct datums and controlled dimensions. Given the aggregation of the BLS data under the mechanical engineering row, hiring managers must apply these figures cautiously, as they are not specifically indicative of drafting-level work. For CAD Designer / Drafter in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. For CAD Designer / Drafter in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $84,130 to $132,590 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Is the $104,110 median an accurate benchmark for CAD drafting?
It serves as a baseline for the broader mechanical occupation. Because drafting roles are often distinct, firms should consider pay scales that reflect the specific technical output.
Why is the Detroit hub's band width more narrow?
The narrower $34,640 band in Detroit reflects a more uniform pay environment for mechanical engineering talent compared to the broader, more varied Los Angeles market.
Does this data account for CAD skill sets?
No, the data is derived from an occupational row and does not account for specialized software proficiency or technical design certification levels.
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