Mechanical Drafters pay range in Virginia Beach
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,790 a year or less, while the top 10% make $98,230 or more. The middle half of mechanical drafters in Virginia Beach earn between $56,440 and $93,600.
- $48K10th
- $56K25th
- $78KMedian
- $94K75th
- $98K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $74,650 | $6,221 | $35.89 |
| Median | $77,500 | $6,458 | $37.26 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $56,440 | $4,703 | $27.13 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $93,600 | $7,800 | $45.00 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Drafters salary after taxes in Virginia Beach
On the average salary of $74,650, a single filer in Virginia Beach takes home about $57,868 a year, or $4,822 a month and $2,226 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NC | $58,876 | $4,906 |
| Working in VA | $57,868 | $4,822 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Virginia Beach a good place for mechanical drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Virginia Beach area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $74,650 buys what about $76,219 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Virginia Beach ($49,430). A typical home costs $373,678, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Drafters salary in other Virginia cities
Virginia Beach ranks 1st of 4 Virginia metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
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 Virginia Beach: questions
How much do mechanical drafters make an hour in Virginia Beach?
$35.89 an hour on average, and $37.26 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical drafters salary in Virginia Beach?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,790 a year and the 25th percentile is $56,440, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical drafters take-home pay in Virginia Beach?
About $57,868 a year ($4,822 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,650.
Do mechanical drafters earn more in Virginia Beach than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (47260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.6%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.80, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.80).
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