Mechanical Drafters pay range in Durham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,300 a year or less, while the top 10% make $106,020 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Durham earn between $52,530 and $83,510.
- $45K10th
- $53K25th
- $64KMedian
- $84K75th
- $106K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $70,710 | $5,892 | $34.00 |
| Median | $63,680 | $5,307 | $30.62 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $52,530 | $4,378 | $25.25 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $83,510 | $6,959 | $40.15 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Durham
On the average salary of $70,710, a single filer in Durham takes home about $56,262 a year, or $4,688 a month and $2,164 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Durham a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $70,710 buys what about $72,470 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 5.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other North Carolina cities
Durham ranks 1st of 8 North Carolina metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Durham$70,710
- Charlotte$65,860
- Greensboro$64,790
- Raleigh$64,720
- Winston-Salem$60,880
- Wilmington$59,420
- Asheville$57,550
- Hickory$53,510
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 Durham: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Durham?
$34.00 an hour on average, and $30.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Durham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,300 a year and the 25th percentile is $52,530, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Durham?
About $56,262 a year ($4,688 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $70,710.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Durham than elsewhere?
The average here is 9% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.9%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.55, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.55).
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