SOC 17-3013 · Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro

Mechanical Drafters Salary in Bakersfield, CA

The average salary for mechanical drafters in Bakersfield, California is $80,990 a year ($38.94 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $76,520: half of the 40 people in this job in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,347).

$80,990average per year

$38.94 / hourMedian $76,520Take-home ≈ $62,366

  • $46K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $101K75th
  • $122K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
+5%vs U.S. metro average
#9 of 13California metros
101cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Mechanical Drafters pay range in Bakersfield

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,690 a year or less, while the top 10% make $121,950 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Bakersfield earn between $61,970 and $101,150.

  • $46K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $77KMedian
  • $101K75th
  • $122K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$80,990$6,749$38.94
Median$76,520$6,377$36.79
Entry level (25th percentile)$61,970$5,164$29.79
Experienced (75th percentile)$101,150$8,429$48.63

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Bakersfield

On the average salary of $80,990, a single filer in Bakersfield takes home about $62,366 a year, or $5,197 a month and $2,399 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Bakersfield a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Bakersfield area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.9), so the average $80,990 buys what about $80,279 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Bakersfield ($47,470). A typical home costs $364,264, or 4.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $80,990 is worth in another city

Mechanical Drafters salary in other California cities

Bakersfield ranks 9th of 13 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($101,310).

All Mechanical Drafters salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for mechanical drafters

Boulder, CO pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,830).

Mechanical Drafters salary by city

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Mechanical Drafters salary in Bakersfield: questions

How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Bakersfield?

$38.94 an hour on average, and $36.79 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Bakersfield?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,690 a year and the 25th percentile is $61,970, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Bakersfield?

About $62,366 a year ($5,197 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $80,990. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do mechanical drafters earn more in Bakersfield than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,347).

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 17-3013; area Bakersfield-Delano, CA (12540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
  • 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.52, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.52).

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