Architectural and Civil Drafters pay range in Boulder
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,230 a year or less, while the top 10% make $103,840 or more. The middle half of architectural and civil drafters in Boulder earn between $61,600 and $88,320.
- $49K10th
- $62K25th
- $75KMedian
- $88K75th
- $104K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $77,260 | $6,438 | $37.14 |
| Median | $75,200 | $6,267 | $36.15 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $61,600 | $5,133 | $29.62 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $88,320 | $7,360 | $42.46 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Architectural and Civil Drafters salary after taxes in Boulder
On the average salary of $77,260, a single filer in Boulder takes home about $60,491 a year, or $5,041 a month and $2,327 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Is Boulder a good place for architectural and civil drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boulder area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.2), so the average $77,260 buys what about $73,440 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Boulder ($69,580). A typical home costs $727,954, or 9.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Architectural and Civil Drafters salary in other Colorado cities
Boulder ranks 2nd of 7 Colorado metro areas for this job; Denver pays the most ($83,770).
- Denver$83,770
- Boulder$77,260
- Greeley$73,190
- Fort Collins$69,910
- Colorado Springs$68,840
- Pueblo$66,060
- Grand Junction$62,610
Highest-paying cities for architectural and civil drafters
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($93,870).
- San Jose, CA$93,870
- Lake Charles, LA$90,720
- San Francisco, CA$89,290
- Denver, CO$83,770
- Rochester, MN$83,220
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Architectural and Civil Drafters salary in Boulder: questions
How much do architectural and civil drafters make an hour in Boulder?
$37.14 an hour on average, and $36.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level architectural and civil drafters salary in Boulder?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,230 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,600, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the architectural and civil drafters take-home pay in Boulder?
About $60,491 a year ($5,041 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $77,260. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Do architectural and civil drafters earn more in Boulder than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($71,698).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3011; area Boulder, CO (14500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.4%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.46, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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