Mechanical Drafters pay range in Reading
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $84,240 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Reading earn between $57,850 and $80,200.
- $51K10th
- $58K25th
- $70KMedian
- $80K75th
- $84K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $69,870 | $5,822 | $33.59 |
| Median | $69,840 | $5,820 | $33.58 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $57,850 | $4,821 | $27.81 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,200 | $6,683 | $38.56 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Reading
On the average salary of $69,870, a single filer in Reading takes home about $55,839 a year, or $4,653 a month and $2,148 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 (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Reading a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Reading area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $69,870 buys what about $71,986 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Reading ($49,440). A typical home costs $312,348, or 4.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Reading ranks 6th of 10 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Philadelphia pays the most ($81,100).
- 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 Reading: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Reading?
$33.59 an hour on average, and $33.58 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Reading?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $57,850, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Reading?
About $55,839 a year ($4,653 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $69,870. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Reading 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 Reading, PA (39740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.32, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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