Mechanical Drafters Salary
The median pay for a mechanical drafters in Wilmington, NC is $50,150/year ($24.11/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $52,012 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 42.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $50K actually covers in Wilmington, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Pay for mechanical drafters in Wilmington runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $72K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 42.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) 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 Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $63K | $65K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $61K | $62K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $60K | $64K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $75K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level mechanical drafters (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $60K 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 Wilmington 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 Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 42.7% 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 $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical drafters in Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical drafters typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,844/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $50K here vs. $72K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for mechanical drafters?
Wilmington pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $72K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do mechanical drafters make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $50,150 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,310, and experienced mechanical drafters can clear $102,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,340/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 42.7% 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 mechanical drafters salary go in Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $52,012 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.