SOC 17-3013 · Duluth, MN-WI metro

Mechanical Drafters Salary in Duluth, MN

The average salary for mechanical drafters in Duluth, Minnesota is $60,450 a year ($29.06 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $61,270: half of the 60 people in this job in the Duluth, MN-WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 22% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,347).

$60,450average per year

$29.06 / hourMedian $61,270Take-home ≈ $48,164

  • $46K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $80K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

60people in this job
-22%vs U.S. metro average
#4 of 4Minnesota metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Mechanical Drafters pay range in Duluth

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $80,130 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Duluth earn between $50,150 and $64,110.

  • $46K10th
  • $50K25th
  • $61KMedian
  • $64K75th
  • $80K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$60,450$5,038$29.06
Median$61,270$5,106$29.46
Entry level (25th percentile)$50,150$4,179$24.11
Experienced (75th percentile)$64,110$5,342$30.82

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

Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Duluth

On the average salary of $60,450, a single filer in Duluth takes home about $48,164 a year, or $4,014 a month and $1,852 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

The Duluth, MN-WI metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in WI$48,660$4,055
Working in MN$48,164$4,014

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.

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

Prices in the Duluth area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.8), so the average $60,450 buys what about $68,099 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Duluth ($50,000). A typical home costs $264,350, or 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $60,450 is worth in another city

Mechanical Drafters salary in other Minnesota cities

Duluth ranks 4th of 4 Minnesota metro areas for this job; Minneapolis pays the most ($77,920).

All Mechanical Drafters salaries in Minnesota

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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Reviewed before it counts. Mechanical Drafters in Duluth, MN.

Mechanical Drafters salary in Duluth: questions

How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Duluth?

$29.06 an hour on average, and $29.46 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $50,150, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $48,164 a year ($4,014 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $60,450. Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.

Do mechanical drafters earn more in Duluth than elsewhere?

The average here is 22% less 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 Duluth, MN-WI (20260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.6%.
  • 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). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.91, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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