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The national median salary for Mechanical Drafters is $68,515 per year ($32.94/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $56,472 and $85,571 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $107,598 per year. There are approximately 39,900 mechanical drafters employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-6.5%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
43K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% 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 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
NAICS 541300
7K
$74,080
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)
NAICS 3320A2
4K
$62,240
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
NAICS 3330A1
4K
$63,640
Building Equipment Contractors
NAICS 238200
3K
$79,890
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
1K
$107,310
Wage range across top 5 industries: $62,240 to $107,310 (72% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$22.36
$46,509
P25
$27.15
$56,472
P50MEDIAN
$32.94
$68,515
P75
$41.14
$85,571
P90
$51.73
$107,598
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average mechanical drafters salary?
The national median salary for Mechanical Drafters is $68,515 per year ($32.94/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $56,472 and $85,571 annually.
How much do top-earning mechanical drafters make?
The 90th percentile salary for Mechanical Drafters is $107,598 per year ($51.73/hr). The 75th percentile is $85,571 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for mechanical drafters?
Entry-level Mechanical Drafters (10th percentile) earn approximately $46,509 per year ($22.36/hr). The 25th percentile is $56,472 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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.
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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