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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

17-3013 Mechanical Drafters

Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
55,210 1.5 % $29.09 $60,500 0.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $17.48 $21.66 $27.43 $34.84 $44.24
Annual Wage (2) $36,350 $45,050 $57,060 $72,460 $92,010


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 11,680 0.78 $29.02 $60,360
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 5,930 1.21 $26.20 $54,490
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 5,850 0.78 $27.23 $56,640
Employment Services 3,280 0.09 $30.85 $64,160
Building Equipment Contractors 2,970 0.13 $32.07 $66,700

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) 5,930 1.21 $26.20 $54,490
Ship and Boat Building 1,210 0.86 $29.64 $61,650
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 11,680 0.78 $29.02 $60,360
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 5,850 0.78 $27.23 $56,640
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing 690 0.74 $27.82 $57,870

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 2,100 0.40 $40.97 $85,210
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 60 0.05 $36.84 $76,630
Natural Gas Distribution 40 0.03 $36.50 $75,920
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing 570 0.16 $34.52 $71,800
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 180 0.05 $34.47 $71,700


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 5,260 0.30 0.81 $33.11 $68,870
Texas 4,960 0.40 1.06 $28.06 $58,360
Pennsylvania 3,120 0.53 1.41 $26.96 $56,080
New York 2,540 0.27 0.71 $28.34 $58,950
Florida 2,510 0.29 0.76 $26.64 $55,400




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 790 1.29 3.42 $27.48 $57,160
Kansas 970 0.70 1.86 $25.15 $52,310
Wisconsin 1,930 0.67 1.79 $26.13 $54,350
Iowa 1,040 0.67 1.78 $29.11 $60,550
Washington 2,190 0.66 1.75 $38.57 $80,220




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 2,190 0.66 1.75 $38.57 $80,220
Alaska 70 0.23 0.62 $35.27 $73,370
Maryland 1,490 0.55 1.47 $33.82 $70,340
California 5,260 0.30 0.81 $33.11 $68,870
Connecticut 710 0.43 1.14 $32.64 $67,880





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 2,010 0.66 1.75 $30.92 $64,320
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,940 0.20 0.53 $31.81 $66,160
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,880 0.30 0.80 $31.06 $64,600
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,680 0.83 2.21 $42.58 $88,560
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,530 0.33 0.87 $28.64 $59,580
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,300 0.46 1.23 $29.13 $60,590
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,180 0.60 1.60 $30.25 $62,920
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,180 0.60 1.59 $30.05 $62,500
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,150 0.31 0.83 $26.76 $55,650
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1,070 0.78 2.07 $32.48 $67,550




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wausau, WI 130 1.82 4.84 $25.71 $53,480
Columbus, IN 90 1.73 4.60 $27.13 $56,420
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI 200 1.56 4.16 $25.05 $52,110
Jackson, MI 70 1.31 3.48 $27.36 $56,920
York-Hanover, PA 230 1.24 3.31 $24.66 $51,290
Appleton, WI 140 1.14 3.03 $28.47 $59,220
Carson City, NV 30 1.12 2.99 $28.76 $59,830
Lebanon, PA 60 1.11 2.95 $26.45 $55,010
California-Lexington Park, MD 50 1.09 2.91 $33.21 $69,090
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 100 1.08 2.87 $28.78 $59,860