Mechanical Drafters Salary
The median pay for a mechanical drafters in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR is $43,680/year ($21/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $43,680 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $663/month, or 22.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $44K get you in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 Juan-Bayamon-Caguas
Pay for mechanical drafters in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas runs about 39% below the U.S. median of $72K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $663/month, 21.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 100) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas can be a reasonable trade-off for mechanical drafterss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR
Entry-level mechanical drafters (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $31K 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 Juan-Bayamon-Caguas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a mechanical drafter afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Yes — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 21.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $663/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical drafters in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical drafters typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $663/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Local pay runs 39% below the national median — $44K here vs. $72K nationally.
How does San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas compare to the national average for mechanical drafters?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do mechanical drafters make in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR?
The median is $43,680 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced mechanical drafters can clear $61,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,095/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $663/month, which eats 21.4% 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 Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median mechanical drafters salary is worth about $43,680 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.