SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-3011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $46,260 | $3,855 | $890 | $22.24 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $55,650 | $4,638 | $1,070 | $26.76 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $66,150 | $5,512 | $1,272 | $31.80 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $80,870 | $6,739 | $1,555 | $38.88 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $99,710 | $8,309 | $1,918 | $47.94 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Architectural and Civil Drafters is $66,150, which is 30% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 31 by median pay. With 103,700 jobs, it makes up about 6.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Architectural and Civil Drafters pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($97,880), Massachusetts ($76,990) and California ($76,520). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($44,720), New Mexico ($50,230) and South Dakota ($52,470). The most jobs were in Texas (11,710), California (11,400) and Florida (7,530). The occupation is most concentrated in Colorado, where its share of all jobs is 1.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 370 | $97,880 | $96,900 | $47.06 |
| Massachusetts | 2,660 | $76,990 | $77,110 | $37.02 |
| California | 11,400 | $76,520 | $80,360 | $36.79 |
| Colorado | 3,570 | $76,370 | $78,240 | $36.72 |
| Connecticut | 810 | $76,290 | $73,150 | $36.68 |
| New York | 7,380 | $76,260 | $78,160 | $36.66 |
| Maryland | 910 | $75,180 | $75,990 | $36.14 |
| Georgia | 3,970 | $74,940 | $75,040 | $36.03 |
| Oregon | 1,490 | $74,000 | $74,430 | $35.58 |
| Delaware | 290 | $73,040 | $70,130 | $35.12 |
| Washington | 2,530 | $73,000 | $74,420 | $35.10 |
| Rhode Island | 240 | $71,700 | $73,900 | $34.47 |
| Minnesota | 1,930 | $70,680 | $72,220 | $33.98 |
| Tennessee | 1,310 | $69,220 | $70,720 | $33.28 |
| Nevada | 1,100 | $67,000 | $72,990 | $32.21 |
| Maine | 440 | $66,200 | $68,240 | $31.83 |
| Montana | 600 | $65,750 | $67,500 | $31.61 |
| West Virginia | 330 | $65,640 | $68,290 | $31.56 |
| New Hampshire | 400 | $65,300 | $68,940 | $31.39 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,370 | $64,800 | $69,080 | $31.15 |
| Arizona | 2,120 | $64,750 | $69,550 | $31.13 |
| North Dakota | 380 | $64,720 | $67,570 | $31.12 |
| South Carolina | 1,170 | $64,680 | $68,320 | $31.09 |
| Utah | 1,820 | $64,290 | $69,460 | $30.91 |
| Iowa | 980 | $64,220 | $69,410 | $30.87 |
| Wyoming | 200 | $63,730 | $64,460 | $30.64 |
| Hawaii | 610 | $63,510 | $68,230 | $30.53 |
| Virginia | 2,600 | $63,450 | $67,510 | $30.51 |
| Texas | 11,710 | $63,320 | $68,600 | $30.44 |
| New Jersey | 2,280 | $62,960 | $67,820 | $30.27 |
| Wisconsin | 2,200 | $62,930 | $68,880 | $30.25 |
| North Carolina | 2,680 | $62,750 | $66,430 | $30.17 |
| Florida | 7,530 | $62,640 | $65,550 | $30.12 |
| Arkansas | 980 | $62,420 | $65,910 | $30.01 |
| Kansas | 630 | $62,220 | $63,790 | $29.91 |
| Oklahoma | 1,260 | $62,140 | $64,410 | $29.88 |
| Missouri | 2,270 | $61,940 | $66,460 | $29.78 |
| Idaho | 1,010 | $61,840 | $66,900 | $29.73 |
| Nebraska | 850 | $61,550 | $65,950 | $29.59 |
| Ohio | 2,860 | $61,450 | $64,030 | $29.54 |
| Louisiana | 1,040 | $61,010 | $68,500 | $29.33 |
| Vermont | 230 | $61,000 | $61,820 | $29.33 |
| Kentucky | 870 | $60,120 | $62,850 | $28.91 |
| Indiana | 2,240 | $60,000 | $64,350 | $28.85 |
| Mississippi | 330 | $59,920 | $60,660 | $28.81 |
| Michigan | 2,100 | $58,330 | $62,210 | $28.04 |
| Illinois | 1,310 | $58,240 | $63,050 | $28.00 |
| Alabama | 1,010 | $57,100 | $57,890 | $27.45 |
| Guam | 70 | $56,710 | $52,010 | $27.27 |
| South Dakota | 460 | $52,470 | $55,530 | $25.23 |
| New Mexico | 690 | $50,230 | $57,740 | $24.15 |
| Puerto Rico | 690 | $44,720 | $44,150 | $21.50 |
| Alaska | 220 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900 a year
- Mechanical Drafters$71,550 a year
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians$67,820 a year
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$66,120 a year
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$64,950 a year
- Drafters, All Other$63,520 a year
Common questions
How much do Architectural and Civil Drafters earn in the United States?
The median pay was $66,150 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,260 and the highest-paid 10% more than $99,710.
How many people work as Architectural and Civil Drafters?
About 103,700 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.