Mechanical Drafters pay range in Rochester
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,890 a year or less, while the top 10% make $90,980 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Rochester earn between $59,560 and $78,680.
- $43K10th
- $60K25th
- $70KMedian
- $79K75th
- $91K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $69,430 | $5,786 | $33.38 |
| Median | $69,750 | $5,812 | $33.53 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,560 | $4,963 | $28.63 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $78,680 | $6,557 | $37.83 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Rochester
On the average salary of $69,430, a single filer in Rochester takes home about $54,460 a year, or $4,538 a month and $2,095 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 (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Is Rochester a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Rochester area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.0), so the average $69,430 buys what about $71,552 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Rochester ($51,210). A typical home costs $285,034, or 4.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other New York cities
Rochester ranks 6th of 8 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($88,290).
- New York$88,290
- Kiryas Joel$83,090
- Syracuse$78,350
- Albany$75,090
- Buffalo$72,360
- Rochester$69,430
- Utica$66,460
- Glens Falls$64,940
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 Rochester: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Rochester?
$33.38 an hour on average, and $33.53 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Rochester?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,890 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,560, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Rochester?
About $54,460 a year ($4,538 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $69,430. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Rochester than elsewhere?
The average here is 10% 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 Rochester, NY (40380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
- 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 (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.73, this job is 1.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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