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Architectural and Civil Drafters in California

Architectural and Civil Drafters in California

Get the information you need to know about working as an Architectural or Civil Drafter.

9.9% Jobs Projection
$61,590 Median Salary
1,480 Job Openings

You’re in luck! Jobs for Architectural and Civil Drafters in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

  • Projected employment for Architectural and Civil Drafters in California is growing faster than average.

  • Architectural and Civil Drafters in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For an Architectural or Civil Drafter Career?

How Many Architectural and Civil Drafters Work in California?

13,480 people worked as Architectural and Civil Drafters in 2018 in this state.

There were 14,840 Architectural and Civil Drafters employed in this state in 2017.

That’s a decline of 1,360 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

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The typical state has 1,140 Architectural and Civil Drafters working in it, which means California has more Architectural and Civil Drafters than average.

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Job Projections for California

Jobs for Architectural and Civil Drafters in this state are growing at a rate of 9.9% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 8.1%.

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California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 1,480 annual job openings, and a total of 16,600 jobs for California Architectural and Civil Drafters in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 9,500 annual jobs and 107,700 total jobs in 2026.

What do Architectural and Civil Drafters Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Architectural and Civil Drafters ranged from $41,630 to $88,010 with $61,590 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $20.02 to $42.31. The median hourly rate was $29.61.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $28.78 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $0.83.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Architectural and Civil Drafters

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Architectural and Civil Drafters.

Metro Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,020 $61,820
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,730 $63,430
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,410 $61,620
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 900 $57,380
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA 830 $69,730
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 740 $60,600
Fresno, CA 220 $49,200
Santa Rosa, CA 210 $72,820
Bakersfield, CA 200 $49,560
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 190 $60,080
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 130 $43,080
Modesto, CA 110 $52,970
Visalia-Porterville, CA 90 $49,260
Napa, CA 80 $68,610
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 70 $57,280
Stockton-Lodi, CA 60 $59,200
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 40 $58,380
Chico, CA 40 $56,220
Redding, CA 30 $52,880

Top States for Architectural and Civil Drafters Employment

The table below shows the states where most Architectural and Civil Drafters work.

State Number Employed Annual Median Salary
California 13,480 $61,590
Texas 11,200 $53,340
Florida 6,440 $52,620
New York 5,730 $58,230
Pennsylvania 4,560 $51,810
Georgia 2,830 $55,970
Ohio 2,700 $51,400
North Carolina 2,650 $51,260
Colorado 2,630 $56,880
New Jersey 2,510 $57,790
Virginia 2,380 $51,950
Illinois 2,320 $62,530
Washington 2,290 $54,490
Missouri 2,170 $50,420
Arizona 2,110 $58,390
Massachusetts 2,090 $58,610
Wisconsin 2,070 $51,630
Minnesota 1,870 $53,910
Michigan 1,740 $49,310
Utah 1,710 $50,530

Below are the states where Architectural and Civil Drafters get paid the most:

State Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia $65,100
Illinois $62,530
California $61,590
Connecticut $61,570
Maryland $61,400
Massachusetts $58,610
Arizona $58,390
New York $58,230
New Jersey $57,790
Alaska $57,680

You may also be interested in the following careers:

Occupation California Employment Total
Mechanical Drafters 4,620
Electrical and Electronics Drafters 3,510

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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