Mechanical Drafters pay range in Nashville
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $92,630 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Nashville earn between $53,130 and $78,840.
- $50K10th
- $53K25th
- $62KMedian
- $79K75th
- $93K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $68,020 | $5,668 | $32.70 |
| Median | $62,420 | $5,202 | $30.01 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $53,130 | $4,428 | $25.54 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $78,840 | $6,570 | $37.90 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Nashville
On the average salary of $68,020, a single filer in Nashville takes home about $56,682 a year, or $4,724 a month and $2,180 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Nashville a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Nashville area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.3), so the average $68,020 buys what about $70,606 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Nashville ($50,390). A typical home costs $455,958, or 6.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other Tennessee cities
Nashville ranks 3rd of 5 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Knoxville pays the most ($69,730).
- Knoxville$69,730
- Chattanooga$69,470
- Nashville$68,020
- Memphis$65,930
- Clarksville$64,840
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 Nashville: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Nashville?
$32.70 an hour on average, and $30.01 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Nashville?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $53,130, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Nashville?
About $56,682 a year ($4,724 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $68,020. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Nashville than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (34980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.63, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.63).
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