Mechanical Drafters pay range in Raleigh
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $84,080 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Raleigh earn between $52,000 and $72,760.
- $48K10th
- $52K25th
- $61KMedian
- $73K75th
- $84K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $64,720 | $5,393 | $31.12 |
| Median | $61,220 | $5,102 | $29.43 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25.00 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $72,760 | $6,063 | $34.98 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Raleigh
On the average salary of $64,720, a single filer in Raleigh takes home about $52,109 a year, or $4,342 a month and $2,004 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 Raleigh a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Raleigh area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.2), so the average $64,720 buys what about $65,935 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Raleigh ($51,990). A typical home costs $438,364, or 6.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other North Carolina cities
Raleigh ranks 4th 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 Raleigh: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Raleigh?
$31.12 an hour on average, and $29.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Raleigh?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $52,000, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Raleigh?
About $52,109 a year ($4,342 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,720.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Raleigh than elsewhere?
The average here is 16% 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC (39580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.5%.
- 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 1.03, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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