Architectural and Civil Drafters Salary
The median pay for a architectural and civil drafters in Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ is $53,500/year ($25.72/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.25), that's roughly $54,453 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,637/month, about 45.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Prescott Valley-Prescott?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Prescott Valley-Prescott’s Regional Price Parity (98.25). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About architectural and civil drafters
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Prescott Valley-Prescott
Pay for architectural and civil drafters in Prescott Valley-Prescott runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $66K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,637/month, which is 45% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.25) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for architectural and civil drafterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for architectural and civil drafters in metros near Prescott Valley-Prescott, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $65K | $63K |
| Tucson | $69K | $71K |
| Yuma | $62K | $67K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $77K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ
Entry-level architectural and civil drafters (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Architectural and Civil Drafters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Architectural and Civil Drafters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $98K | +48% | 370 |
| Massachusetts | $77K | +16% | 2,660 |
| California | $77K | +16% | 11,400 |
| Colorado | $76K | +15% | 3,570 |
| Connecticut | $76K | +15% | 810 |
| New York | $76K | +15% | 7,380 |
| Maryland | $75K | +14% | 910 |
| Georgia | $75K | +13% | 3,970 |
| Oregon | $74K | +12% | 1,490 |
| Delaware | $73K | +10% | 290 |
| Washington | $73K | +10% | 2,530 |
| Rhode Island | $72K | +8% | 240 |
| Minnesota | $71K | +7% | 1,930 |
| Tennessee | $69K | +5% | 1,310 |
| Nevada | $67K | +1% | 1,100 |
| Maine | $66K | +0% | 440 |
| Montana | $66K | -1% | 600 |
| West Virginia | $66K | -1% | 330 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -1% | 400 |
| Pennsylvania | $65K | -2% | 5,370 |
| Arizona | $65K | -2% | 2,120 |
| North Dakota | $65K | -2% | 380 |
| South Carolina | $65K | -2% | 1,170 |
| Utah | $64K | -3% | 1,820 |
| Iowa | $64K | -3% | 980 |
| Wyoming | $64K | -4% | 200 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -4% | 610 |
| Virginia | $63K | -4% | 2,600 |
| Texas | $63K | -4% | 11,710 |
| New Jersey | $63K | -5% | 2,280 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | -5% | 2,200 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -5% | 2,680 |
| Florida | $63K | -5% | 7,530 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -6% | 980 |
| Kansas | $62K | -6% | 630 |
| Oklahoma | $62K | -6% | 1,260 |
| Missouri | $62K | -6% | 2,270 |
| Idaho | $62K | -7% | 1,010 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -7% | 850 |
| Ohio | $61K | -7% | 2,860 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -8% | 1,040 |
| Vermont | $61K | -8% | 230 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -9% | 870 |
| Indiana | $60K | -9% | 2,240 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -9% | 330 |
| Michigan | $58K | -12% | 2,100 |
| Illinois | $58K | -12% | 1,310 |
| Alabama | $57K | -14% | 1,010 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -21% | 460 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -24% | 690 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track architectural and civil drafters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Prescott Valley-Prescott numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a architectural and civil drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Prescott Valley-Prescott?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 45% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,637/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for architectural and civil drafters in Prescott Valley-Prescott?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new architectural and civil drafters typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,844/month. At HUD’s $1,637/month FMR, rent would take 89% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is architectural and civil drafter a high-paying job in Prescott Valley-Prescott?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $54K here vs. $66K nationally.
How does Prescott Valley-Prescott compare to the national average for architectural and civil drafters?
Prescott Valley-Prescott pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.25), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do architectural and civil drafters make in Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ?
The median is $53,500 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,740, and experienced architectural and civil drafters can clear $71,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Prescott Valley-Prescott?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,641/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,637/month, which eats 45% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a architectural and civil drafters salary go in Prescott Valley-Prescott?
Prescott Valley-Prescott has a Regional Price Parity of 98.25 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median architectural and civil drafters salary is worth about $54,453 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do architectural and civil drafters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.