Architectural and Civil Drafters pay range in Los Angeles
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,820 a year or less, while the top 10% make $108,370 or more. The middle half of architectural and civil drafters in Los Angeles earn between $63,120 and $93,860.
- $50K10th
- $63K25th
- $77KMedian
- $94K75th
- $108K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $79,180 | $6,598 | $38.07 |
| Median | $76,630 | $6,386 | $36.84 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $63,120 | $5,260 | $30.35 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $93,860 | $7,822 | $45.12 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Architectural and Civil Drafters pay in Los Angeles vs. California and the U.S.
Architectural and civil drafters in Los Angeles earn about the same as the California average ($80,360) and 12% more than the U.S. average ($70,740). At the median the gap is +16% against the U.S. median of $66,150.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $79,180 | $76,630 | $49,820 | $108,370 | 3,890 |
| California | $80,360 | $76,520 | $49,850 | $114,600 | 11,400 |
| United States | $70,740 | $66,150 | $46,260 | $99,710 | 103,700 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Architectural and Civil Drafters salary after taxes in Los Angeles
On the average salary of $79,180, a single filer in Los Angeles takes home about $61,261 a year, or $5,105 a month and $2,356 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Los Angeles a good place for architectural and civil drafters? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Los Angeles area are 14% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 113.6), so the average $79,180 buys what about $69,722 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Los Angeles ($55,850). A typical home costs $968,608, or 12.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Architectural and Civil Drafters salary in other California cities
Los Angeles ranks 7th of 21 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($93,870).
- San Jose$93,870
- San Francisco$89,290
- Santa Rosa$83,110
- Sacramento$80,760
- Napa$79,960
- San Diego$79,500
- Los Angeles$79,180
- Vallejo$79,070
- Chico$77,610
- San Luis Obispo$76,710
Highest-paying cities for architectural and civil drafters
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($93,870).
- San Jose, CA$93,870
- Lake Charles, LA$90,720
- San Francisco, CA$89,290
- Denver, CO$83,770
- Rochester, MN$83,220
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Architectural and Civil Drafters salary in Los Angeles: questions
How much do architectural and civil drafters make an hour in Los Angeles?
$38.07 an hour on average, and $36.84 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level architectural and civil drafters salary in Los Angeles?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,820 a year and the 25th percentile is $63,120, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the architectural and civil drafters take-home pay in Los Angeles?
About $61,261 a year ($5,105 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $79,180. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do architectural and civil drafters earn more in Los Angeles than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% more than the U.S. average for this job ($70,740).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3011; area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (31080). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.93, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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