Mechanical Drafters pay range in Philadelphia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,760 a year or less, while the top 10% make $130,320 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Philadelphia earn between $60,130 and $90,550.
- $51K10th
- $60K25th
- $74KMedian
- $91K75th
- $130K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $81,100 | $6,758 | $38.99 |
| Median | $74,100 | $6,175 | $35.62 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $60,130 | $5,011 | $28.91 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $90,550 | $7,546 | $43.53 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Philadelphia
On the average salary of $81,100, a single filer in Philadelphia takes home about $63,394 a year, or $5,283 a month and $2,438 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in PA | $63,394 | $5,283 |
| Working in NJ | $62,908 | $5,242 |
| Working in MD | $62,243 | $5,187 |
| Working in DE | $61,762 | $5,147 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Philadelphia a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Philadelphia area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.6), so the average $81,100 buys what about $79,080 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Philadelphia ($54,310). A typical home costs $390,463, or 4.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Philadelphia ranks 1st of 10 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Philadelphia$81,100
- Harrisburg$73,540
- Allentown$71,550
- Pittsburgh$71,310
- York$70,000
- Reading$69,870
- Lancaster$66,810
- Chambersburg$62,570
- Scranton$61,060
- Erie$60,910
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 Philadelphia: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Philadelphia?
$38.99 an hour on average, and $35.63 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Philadelphia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,760 a year and the 25th percentile is $60,130, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Philadelphia?
About $63,394 a year ($5,283 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $81,100. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Philadelphia than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% more 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.0%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.98, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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