Architectural and Civil Drafters Salary
The median pay for a architectural and civil drafters in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX is $58,750/year ($28.25/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.72), which stretches that salary to about $62,025 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 34.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $59K get you in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Antonio-New Braunfels’s Regional Price Parity (94.72). 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
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What this looks like in San Antonio-New Braunfels
Pay for architectural and civil drafters in San Antonio-New Braunfels runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $66K. Rent runs $1,426/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for architectural and civil drafters in metros near San Antonio-New Braunfels, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $63K | $64K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $67K | $65K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $74K | $76K |
| El Paso | $55K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
Entry-level architectural and civil drafters (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $45K 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a architectural and civil drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 34.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 San Antonio-New Braunfels?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new architectural and civil drafters typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,740/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $59K here vs. $66K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does San Antonio-New Braunfels compare to the national average for architectural and civil drafters?
San Antonio-New Braunfels pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do architectural and civil drafters make in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?
The median is $58,750 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,660, and experienced architectural and civil drafters can clear $91,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,104/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 34.7% 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels?
San Antonio-New Braunfels has a Regional Price Parity of 94.72 (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 $62,025 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.