Mechanical Drafters pay range in San Francisco
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $69,550 a year or less, while the top 10% make $125,320 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in San Francisco earn between $81,210 and $119,420.
- $70K10th
- $81K25th
- $98KMedian
- $119K75th
- $125K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $98,950 | $8,246 | $47.57 |
| Median | $98,310 | $8,192 | $47.26 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $81,210 | $6,768 | $39.04 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $119,420 | $9,952 | $57.41 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in San Francisco
On the average salary of $98,950, a single filer in San Francisco takes home about $73,331 a year, or $6,111 a month and $2,820 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% 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.
Is San Francisco a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Francisco area are 16% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 115.6), so the average $98,950 buys what about $85,587 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Francisco ($74,260). A typical home costs $1,149,215, or 11.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other California cities
San Francisco ranks 2nd of 13 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($101,310).
- San Jose$101,310
- San Francisco$98,950
- San Diego$90,030
- Los Angeles$86,410
- San Luis Obispo$83,240
- Santa Maria$82,960
- Sacramento$81,410
- Oxnard$81,300
- Bakersfield$80,990
- Stockton$80,270
Highest-paying cities for mechanical drafters
Boulder, CO pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,830).
- Boulder, CO$109,830
- Albuquerque, NM$104,030
- San Jose, CA$101,310
- San Francisco, CA$98,950
- Seattle, WA$98,470
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Mechanical Drafters salary in San Francisco: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in San Francisco?
$47.57 an hour on average, and $47.27 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in San Francisco?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $69,550 a year and the 25th percentile is $81,210, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in San Francisco?
About $73,331 a year ($6,111 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $98,950. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in San Francisco than elsewhere?
The average here is 28% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA (41860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
- 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 0.64, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.64).
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