Mechanical Drafters Salary
The median pay for a mechanical drafters in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX is $78,110/year ($37.56/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.72), which stretches that salary to about $82,464 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,426/month, or 26.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $78K 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 mechanical drafters
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What this looks like in San Antonio-New Braunfels
Mechanical drafters pay in San Antonio-New Braunfels tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $72K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,426/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27% 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. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for mechanical drafters in metros near San Antonio-New Braunfels, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $83K | $81K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $79K | $80K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $77K | $79K |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $87K | $97K |
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 mechanical drafters (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $53K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when San Antonio-New Braunfels numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a mechanical drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 27% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical drafters in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical drafters typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,041/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 47% 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $72K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does San Antonio-New Braunfels compare to the national average for mechanical drafters?
San Antonio-New Braunfels pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do mechanical drafters make in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?
The median is $78,110 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,680, and experienced mechanical drafters can clear $103,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in San Antonio-New Braunfels?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,278/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 27% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a mechanical 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 mechanical drafters salary is worth about $82,464 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.