Mechanical Drafters pay range in Hickory
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,880 a year or less, while the top 10% make $70,720 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Hickory earn between $46,210 and $57,480.
- $41K10th
- $46K25th
- $48KMedian
- $57K75th
- $71K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $53,510 | $4,459 | $25.73 |
| Median | $47,570 | $3,964 | $22.87 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $46,210 | $3,851 | $22.22 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $57,480 | $4,790 | $27.63 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Hickory
On the average salary of $53,510, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $43,549 a year, or $3,629 a month and $1,675 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Hickory a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $53,510 buys what about $60,473 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 5.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other North Carolina cities
Hickory ranks 8th of 8 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Durham pays the most ($70,710).
- 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 Hickory: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Hickory?
$25.73 an hour on average, and $22.87 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Hickory?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $40,880 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,210, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Hickory?
About $43,549 a year ($3,629 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $53,510.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?
The average here is 31% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.2%.
- 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 (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.10, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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