Drafter Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

There are about 25,000 jobs for drafters in the US. The unemployment ranking for this career was low, compared to other occupations. About 4% of employees were without employment in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

Drafters are most common in Lafayette (Louisiana), New Orleans (Louisiana), and Fort Walton Beach (Florida), and least common in Richmond (Virginia), Phoenix (Arizona), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania).

Workers are paid the most in Oakland (California), Anchorage (Alaska), and Haverhill (Massachusetts), and the least in Baltimore (Maryland), Shreveport (Louisiana), and Knoxville (Tennessee).

Training and Education

Most employees have a postsecondary vocational award. Approximately 25% of drafters have a bachelor's degree. About 62% of workers have been to college without getting a degree. About 13% of employees obtain jobs with only a high-school diploma or GED. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Among drafters, 6% work less than full-time. Some 5% of workers work for themselves.

Drafters: An Introductory Video

Drafters Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of drafters compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for drafters.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Birmingham	$44,000	90
Mobile	$39,000	70
Huntsville	$43,000	70

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$62,000	60

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Phoenix	$47,000	90

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Fayetteville	$42,000	50

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers
San Jose	$51,000	340
Santa Ana	$56,000	330
San Diego	$51,000	220
Oakland	$61,000	210
Sacramento	$54,000	190
Riverside	$52,000	130
San Francisco	$55,000	90
Santa Rosa	$43,000	50
Stockton	$54,000	40
Oxnard	$51,000	40
Fresno	$56,000	30

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Denver	$49,000	230
Colorado Springs	$40,000	70

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
New Haven	$39,000	40

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Orlando	$45,000	420
Miami	$46,000	280
Tampa	$44,000	170
Fort Lauderdale	$47,000	160
West Palm Beach	$41,000	90
Palm Bay	$53,000	90
Fort Walton Beach	$39,000	60
Sarasota	$46,000	60

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Atlanta	$45,000	120

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$47,000	60

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Chicago	$46,000	1,050
Rockford	$43,000	80

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Indianapolis	$37,000	100
Elkhart	$43,000	40
Gary	$55,000	40

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Davenport	$42,000	30

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Louisville	$41,000	70

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New Orleans	$52,000	540
Baton Rouge	$48,000	270
Lafayette	$38,000	160
Shreveport	$34,000	110
Monroe	$36,000	40

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Baltimore	$35,000	70

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Haverhill	$54,000	60

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Grand Rapids	$44,000	70
Detroit	$42,000	40
Holland	$48,000	30
Flint	$43,000	30

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Minneapolis	$47,000	320

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Kansas City	$49,000	220
St Louis	$47,000	200

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$45,000	220
Lincoln	$41,000	30

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Las Vegas	$39,000	80

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Nashua	$48,000	110
Manchester	$49,000	70

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Edison	$46,000	160
Newark	$56,000	90

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New York	$52,000	560
Nassau	$61,000	180
Buffalo	$42,000	100
Albany	$36,000	80
Rochester	$42,000	60

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Charlotte	$46,000	70

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Columbus	$48,000	150
Cleveland	$41,000	150
Cincinnati	$52,000	140
Toledo	$44,000	50
Akron	$47,000	40
Dayton	$38,000	30

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$45,000	280

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Philadelphia	$54,000	90
Pittsburgh	$48,000	70

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$43,000	70

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Nashville	$42,000	180
Memphis	$42,000	130
Knoxville	$33,000	90
Chattanooga	$37,000	70
Johnson City	$43,000	30

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Houston	$53,000	470
San Antonio	$41,000	70

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Richmond	$52,000	30

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Tacoma	$49,000	100
Mount Vernon	$49,000	30

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Milwaukee	$44,000	80
Green Bay	$37,000	70
Madison	$38,000	50
Wausau	$38,000	40

Our drafter career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.