$ PaycheckDecoded

Architectural and Civil Drafter Salary

Architectural and Civil Drafters earn a median $66,150 a year nationally. Architecture and Engineering Occupations

U.S. median
$66,150
$31.80 per hour
Range
$46,260 – $99,710
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
103,700
across the U.S.

Architectural and Civil Drafter take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Architectural and Civil Drafter
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$55,332
per year · effective tax rate 16.4%
$4,611Monthly
$2,305Twice a month
$2,128Every 2 weeks
$26.60Hourly
  • Federal income tax$5,758
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,101
  • Medicare (1.45%)$959
  • Texas income tax$0
  • Take-home pay$55,332

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)$46,260$22.24$39,350
25th percentile$55,650$26.75$46,895
Median (50th)$66,150$31.80$55,332
75th percentile$80,870$38.88$65,722
90th percentile (top earners)$99,710$47.94$78,976

Best cities for architectural and civil drafters (after tax & cost of living)

#Metro areaMedianTake-homeReal value*Jobs
1Nashville, TN$75,010$61,600$63,941440
2Austin, TX$74,230$61,051$62,2551,300
3Cincinnati, OH$70,010$56,939$59,703480
4Denver, CO$79,860$62,206$58,8062,120
5Tulsa, OK$64,610$51,732$57,987440
6Pittsburgh, PA$68,160$54,688$57,7661,070
7Atlanta, GA$74,180$57,788$57,7552,170
8San Jose, CA$82,820$62,545$56,641610
9Oklahoma City, OK$63,840$51,148$56,575580
10Baltimore, MD$75,810$58,925$56,395450
11Boston, MA$79,310$60,879$56,2312,150
12Seattle, WA$75,830$62,176$55,9481,520
13Fayetteville, AR$63,230$50,732$55,534500
14Omaha, NE$63,200$50,965$55,451500
15Sacramento, CA$76,950$59,020$55,330850
16Kansas City, MO$63,520$51,170$55,2931,010
17Las Vegas, NV$65,380$54,713$54,595840
18Cleveland, OH$62,130$51,175$54,486440
19Dallas, TX$66,890$55,887$54,2123,360
20Tampa, FL$65,160$54,536$54,0551,270
21Washington, DC$76,020$58,815$54,0161,610
22Raleigh, NC$65,840$52,964$53,959730
23Houston, TX$63,120$52,897$53,6324,130
24Minneapolis, MN$72,020$56,122$53,5401,390
25San Diego, CA$78,340$59,868$53,5071,130

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

Architectural and Civil Drafter salary by state

StateMedianTake-homeRangeJobs
District of Columbia $97,880$72,337 $67,850 – $120,190370
Massachusetts $76,990$59,363 $56,850 – $102,6602,660
California $76,520$58,758 $49,850 – $114,60011,400
Colorado $76,370$59,904 $48,980 – $107,9903,570
Connecticut $76,290$59,879 $51,220 – $90,590810
New York $76,260$58,958 $49,390 – $113,4007,380
Maryland $75,180$58,512 $48,670 – $103,690910
Georgia $74,940$58,284 $46,530 – $108,6103,970
Oregon $74,000$55,244 $57,020 – $98,4101,490
Delaware $73,040$56,734 $48,810 – $88,020290
Washington $73,000$60,186 $55,990 – $102,1802,530
Rhode Island $71,700$57,199 $52,000 – $105,650240
Minnesota $70,680$55,271 $52,000 – $98,1101,930
Tennessee $69,220$57,526 $45,050 – $98,0201,310
Nevada $67,000$55,965 $45,570 – $102,6501,100
Maine $66,200$52,085 $48,450 – $93,810440
Montana $65,750$52,656 $48,810 – $84,480600
West Virginia $65,640$52,693 $40,520 – $100,710330
New Hampshire $65,300$54,649 $52,740 – $90,710400
Pennsylvania $64,800$52,257 $46,740 – $96,6805,370
Arizona $64,750$52,797 $44,930 – $99,4502,120
North Dakota $64,720$54,180 $47,430 – $92,820380
South Carolina $64,680$51,427 $46,410 – $100,9701,170
Utah $64,290$51,910 $48,290 – $96,2701,820
Iowa $64,220$51,992 $45,760 – $102,060980
Wyoming $63,730$53,387 $51,080 – $78,470200
Hawaii $63,510$49,914 $48,940 – $95,170610
Virginia $63,450$50,328 $47,170 – $93,9702,600
Texas $63,320$53,058 $44,950 – $100,35011,710
New Jersey $62,960$50,838 $44,700 – $96,1202,280
Wisconsin $62,930$50,756 $48,840 – $96,8302,200
North Carolina $62,750$50,605 $42,790 – $95,5402,680
Florida $62,640$52,511 $43,680 – $95,1507,530
Arkansas $62,420$50,113 $49,880 – $81,490980
Kansas $62,220$49,502 $41,950 – $86,380630
Oklahoma $62,140$49,859 $43,170 – $91,3301,260
Missouri $61,940$49,975 $44,760 – $90,2002,270
Idaho $61,840$49,699 $45,490 – $97,0801,010
Nebraska $61,550$49,714 $46,580 – $87,260850
Ohio $61,450$50,648 $44,700 – $87,1602,860
Louisiana $61,010$49,757 $43,700 – $107,1301,040
Vermont $61,000$49,584 $47,410 – $78,930230
Kentucky $60,120$48,500 $38,780 – $86,530870
Indiana $60,000$48,650 $43,430 – $93,5602,240
Mississippi $59,920$48,661 $42,740 – $81,010330
Michigan $58,330$46,820 $40,390 – $90,7502,100
Illinois $58,240$46,238 $45,760 – $88,0401,310
Alabama $57,100$45,470 $39,040 – $77,6301,010
South Dakota $52,470$44,340 $41,070 – $72,940460
New Mexico $50,230$41,345 $42,560 – $81,000690

Frequently asked questions

How much does a architectural and civil drafter make?

The national median salary for architectural and civil drafters is $66,150 a year ($31.80 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $46,260 and the top 10% earn over $99,710. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays architectural and civil drafters the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay at $97,880. After taxes and local prices, Nashville, TN offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many architectural and civil drafters are there in the U.S.?

About 103,700 people work as architectural and civil drafters nationwide.

All 47 cities