Mechanical Drafters Salary
The median pay for a mechanical drafters in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $63,680/year ($30.62/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $65,266 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 40.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $64K actually covers in Durham-Chapel Hill, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 mechanical drafters
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What this looks like in Durham-Chapel Hill
Pay for mechanical drafters in Durham-Chapel Hill runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $72K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 40.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) 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 mechanical drafters.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for mechanical drafters in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | $50K | $52K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $63K | $65K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $61K | $62K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $60K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level mechanical drafters (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $61K spread from bottom to top.
Mechanical Drafters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Mechanical Drafters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $90K | +26% | 90 |
| Colorado | $85K | +19% | 580 |
| New Jersey | $83K | +17% | 690 |
| California | $83K | +15% | 3,640 |
| Texas | $79K | +11% | 4,630 |
| Louisiana | $78K | +9% | 420 |
| North Dakota | $78K | +8% | 100 |
| Washington | $77K | +7% | 1,690 |
| Maryland | $77K | +7% | 360 |
| New York | $76K | +7% | 1,940 |
| Maine | $76K | +7% | 620 |
| Nevada | $76K | +6% | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $75K | +6% | 620 |
| Oregon | $74K | +3% | 410 |
| Minnesota | $73K | +2% | 1,220 |
| Vermont | $73K | +2% | 70 |
| Michigan | $72K | +1% | 2,030 |
| Ohio | $71K | -1% | 1,790 |
| Utah | $70K | -2% | 490 |
| Virginia | $70K | -3% | 630 |
| Rhode Island | $69K | -3% | 100 |
| Kentucky | $69K | -4% | 510 |
| Connecticut | $69K | -4% | 450 |
| Florida | $68K | -5% | 1,540 |
| Arizona | $67K | -6% | 630 |
| Georgia | $67K | -7% | 820 |
| Missouri | $66K | -7% | 870 |
| Kansas | $65K | -9% | 540 |
| West Virginia | $65K | -9% | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $64K | -11% | 1,630 |
| South Carolina | $64K | -11% | 640 |
| Pennsylvania | $63K | -11% | 2,330 |
| Oklahoma | $63K | -11% | 650 |
| Tennessee | $63K | -11% | 740 |
| Iowa | $63K | -11% | 630 |
| Illinois | $63K | -12% | 450 |
| Indiana | $63K | -12% | 1,300 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -15% | 530 |
| Wyoming | $61K | -15% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $60K | -15% | 260 |
| Arkansas | $60K | -16% | 250 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -17% | 1,350 |
| Idaho | $59K | -17% | 330 |
| Delaware | $57K | -20% | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $55K | -23% | N/A |
| Alabama | $54K | -25% | 440 |
| South Dakota | $53K | -26% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track mechanical drafters salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Durham-Chapel Hill numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a mechanical drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 40.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical drafters in Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical drafters typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,033/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 56% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is mechanical drafter a high-paying job in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $64K here vs. $72K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for mechanical drafters?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — below the national median.
How much do mechanical drafters make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $63,680 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,300, and experienced mechanical drafters can clear $106,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,193/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 40.8% 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 mechanical drafters salary go in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 mechanical drafters salary is worth about $65,266 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do mechanical 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.