Mechanical Drafters in California

Want to work in California as a Mechanical Drafter? Read this first!

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

• Projected employment for Mechanical Drafters in California is growing faster than average.

• Mechanical Drafters in California earn higher salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Mechanical Drafter Career?

• Engineering Technologies
• Drafting & Design Engineering Technology
• General Drafting & Design Technology
• CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology
• Mechanical Drafting & Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD

How Many Mechanical Drafters Work in California?

In California, there were 4,620 people working as Mechanical Drafters in the year 2018.

There were 3,870 Mechanical Drafters employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 750 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 770 Mechanical Drafters working in it, which means California has more Mechanical Drafters than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Mechanical Drafters in this state are growing at a rate of 7.5% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 5.2%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS estimates 380 annual job openings, and a total of 4,300 jobs for California Mechanical Drafters in 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 5,900 annual jobs and 68,200 total jobs in 2026.

What do Mechanical Drafters Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Mechanical Drafters ranged from $36,680 to $101,260 with $61,190 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $17.63 to $48.68. The median hourly rate was $29.42.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $27.79 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $1.63.

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

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Top California Metros for Mechanical Drafters

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Mechanical Drafters.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	1,640	$60,030
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	590	$70,810
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	500	$72,580
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	450	$50,840
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	420	$77,410
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA	220	$58,520
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	120	$65,780
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA	110	$60,470
Bakersfield, CA	80	$54,720
Stockton-Lodi, CA	80	$56,830
Modesto, CA	60	$44,000
Fresno, CA	50	$53,490
Visalia-Porterville, CA	40	$51,360
Santa Rosa, CA	30	$75,330
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	30	$75,550

Top States for Mechanical Drafters Employment

View the list below to see where most Mechanical Drafters work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	4,830	$58,760
California	4,620	$61,190
Pennsylvania	3,210	$53,000
New York	2,780	$56,470
Illinois	2,770	$55,100
Florida	2,720	$52,010
Michigan	2,530	$56,180
Ohio	2,210	$53,710
Washington	2,060	$79,510
Minnesota	2,030	$58,210
Wisconsin	1,980	$49,940
Massachusetts	1,880	$54,140
Maryland	1,340	$61,170
Indiana	1,280	$49,300
Virginia	1,250	$57,540
Tennessee	1,230	$56,620
North Carolina	1,170	$51,910
Kansas	1,130	$48,870
Oklahoma	1,100	$58,020
Missouri	1,050	$50,810

Below are the states where Mechanical Drafters get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Washington	$79,510
New Mexico	$71,060
New Jersey	$66,280
California	$61,190
Maryland	$61,170
Colorado	$60,710
Connecticut	$60,620
Arizona	$60,060
Louisiana	$59,080
Texas	$58,760

Related Careers in California

Discover similar careers:

Occupation	California Employment Total
Architectural and Civil Drafters	13,480
Electrical and Electronics Drafters	3,510

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By Pixabay under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.