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Architectural and Civil Drafters Salary in Massachusetts

SOC 17-3011 · Massachusetts · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$77,002
$37.02/hr
16.4% higher than the US national median ($66,144)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Architectural and Civil Drafters salary in Massachusetts in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$57K
P25$64K
P50$77K
P75$82K
P90$103K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
🔥
Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $77,002 to $82,472 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Architectural and Civil Drafters pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · HOT

Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.2 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Architectural and Civil Drafters in Massachusetts is $77,002 per year ($37.02/hr). This is 16.4% higher than the national median of $66,144.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works. Use knowledge of building materials, engineering practices, and mathematics to complete drawings.

Wage Percentiles: Massachusetts

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P10Entry level$27.33$56,846+22.9%
P25$30.90$64,272+15.5%
P50MEDIAN$37.02$77,002+16.4%
P75$39.65$82,472+2.0%
P90Top earners$49.36$102,669+3.0%
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Architectural and Civil Drafters
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Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings
10K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
111K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
5% from new growth95% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce Median Pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
73K$65,980
Residential Building Construction
NAICS 236100
4K$64,370
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median architectural and civil drafters salary in Massachusetts?

The median (P50) annual salary for Architectural and Civil Drafters in Massachusetts is approximately $77,002, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 16.4% higher than the national median of $66,144. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

Related Roles in Massachusetts

Same sector, top 5 by employment
Civil Engineers17-2051View salary →Industrial Engineers17-2112View salary →Mechanical Engineers17-2141View salary →Electrical Engineers17-2071View salary →Engineers, All Other17-2199View salary →Browse all 770+ occupations →
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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.

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