Survey CAD Technician Salary by StateStand-in BLS figures: architectural and civil drafters, architectural drafters included
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Closest available occupation, a stand-in: SOC 17-3011 Architectural and Civil Drafters
Closest available: BLS has no survey CAD technician code.
This is architectural and civil drafters (17-3011), which also covers architectural drafters; survey techs who draft may be counted as surveying and mapping technicians (17-3031) instead.
The figure shown is the national median for all architectural and civil drafters (SOC 17-3011), all industries: $66,150 a year ($31.80 an hour) in May 2025.
It is a labelled stand-in benchmark, not survey CAD technician pay.
In architectural, engineering and related services (NAICS 541300), the industry that includes survey firms, the median for architectural and civil drafters was $65,980 a year ($31.72 an hour); 71% of the occupation's payroll jobs are in that industry.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only and leaves out the self-employed, overtime pay and most bonuses. BLS publishes no wage for survey firms alone (NAICS 541370).
What the BLS figure covers
These are BLS figures for every worker in SOC 17-3011 Architectural and Civil Drafters, the closest available occupation, a stand-in, shown only as a benchmark.
BLS publishes no separate series or percentiles for survey CAD technicians, so this page does not show a percentile table or a job outlook for the role.
The occupation counts architectural drafters as well as civil drafters, so the figure is not survey CAD technician pay.
Survey technicians who draft in CAD may be counted as surveying and mapping technicians (SOC 17-3031) instead.
Pay for Architectural and Civil Drafters by State
Median annual wage for SOC 17-3011 Architectural and Civil Drafters in each state, BLS OEWS May 2025, alphabetical: the closest available occupation, a stand-in, not a survey CAD technician series.
BLS state figures cover every employer of the occupation in the state. "vs. U.S." compares the state median with the national median of $66,150; it is not adjusted for living costs.
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,100 | $27.45 | 1,010 | −14% |
| Alaska | Not published | Not published | 220 | — |
| Arizona | $64,750 | $31.13 | 2,120 | −2% |
| Arkansas | $62,420 | $30.01 | 980 | −6% |
| California | $76,520 | $36.79 | 11,400 | +16% |
| Colorado | $76,370 | $36.72 | 3,570 | +15% |
| Connecticut | $76,290 | $36.68 | 810 | +15% |
| Delaware | $73,040 | $35.12 | 290 | +10% |
| District of Columbia | $97,880 | $47.06 | 370 | +48% |
| Florida | $62,640 | $30.12 | 7,530 | −5% |
| Georgia | $74,940 | $36.03 | 3,970 | +13% |
| Hawaii | $63,510 | $30.53 | 610 | −4% |
| Idaho | $61,840 | $29.73 | 1,010 | −7% |
| Illinois | $58,240 | $28.00 | 1,310 | −12% |
| Indiana | $60,000 | $28.85 | 2,240 | −9% |
| Iowa | $64,220 | $30.87 | 980 | −3% |
| Kansas | $62,220 | $29.91 | 630 | −6% |
| Kentucky | $60,120 | $28.91 | 870 | −9% |
| Louisiana | $61,010 | $29.33 | 1,040 | −8% |
| Maine | $66,200 | $31.83 | 440 | 0% |
| Maryland | $75,180 | $36.14 | 910 | +14% |
| Massachusetts | $76,990 | $37.02 | 2,660 | +16% |
| Michigan | $58,330 | $28.04 | 2,100 | −12% |
| Minnesota | $70,680 | $33.98 | 1,930 | +7% |
| Mississippi | $59,920 | $28.81 | 330 | −9% |
| Missouri | $61,940 | $29.78 | 2,270 | −6% |
| Montana | $65,750 | $31.61 | 600 | −1% |
| Nebraska | $61,550 | $29.59 | 850 | −7% |
| Nevada | $67,000 | $32.21 | 1,100 | +1% |
| New Hampshire | $65,300 | $31.39 | 400 | −1% |
| New Jersey | $62,960 | $30.27 | 2,280 | −5% |
| New Mexico | $50,230 | $24.15 | 690 | −24% |
| New York | $76,260 | $36.66 | 7,380 | +15% |
| North Carolina | $62,750 | $30.17 | 2,680 | −5% |
| North Dakota | $64,720 | $31.12 | 380 | −2% |
| Ohio | $61,450 | $29.54 | 2,860 | −7% |
| Oklahoma | $62,140 | $29.88 | 1,260 | −6% |
| Oregon | $74,000 | $35.58 | 1,490 | +12% |
| Pennsylvania | $64,800 | $31.15 | 5,370 | −2% |
| Rhode Island | $71,700 | $34.47 | 240 | +8% |
| South Carolina | $64,680 | $31.09 | 1,170 | −2% |
| South Dakota | $52,470 | $25.23 | 460 | −21% |
| Tennessee | $69,220 | $33.28 | 1,310 | +5% |
| Texas | $63,320 | $30.44 | 11,710 | −4% |
| Utah | $64,290 | $30.91 | 1,820 | −3% |
| Vermont | $61,000 | $29.33 | 230 | −8% |
| Virginia | $63,450 | $30.51 | 2,600 | −4% |
| Washington | $73,000 | $35.10 | 2,530 | +10% |
| West Virginia | $65,640 | $31.56 | 330 | −1% |
| Wisconsin | $62,930 | $30.25 | 2,200 | −5% |
| Wyoming | $63,730 | $30.64 | 200 | −4% |
BLS does not publish this median for Alaska. BLS suppresses estimates it cannot publish reliably; no figure is estimated for it here and it has no state page.
Pay by employer
National figures for all architectural and civil drafters (SOC 17-3011): every employer, then architectural, engineering and related services, then engineering services, BLS OEWS May 2025.
BLS publishes no figure for survey CAD technicians alone; these rows are for the whole occupation, the closest available occupation, a stand-in.
BLS publishes no wage figures for surveying and mapping firms (NAICS 541370) on their own, so no survey-firm-only figure exists.
The narrowest published rows that cover survey firms are architectural, engineering and related services (541300), which also counts architecture, engineering and drafting firms, and engineering services (541330), a part of 541300.
BLS industry estimates are national only.
| Employer | Median | Mean | Hourly median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (every employer) | $66,150 | $70,740 | $31.80 | 103,700 |
| Architectural, engineering and related services (NAICS 541300) | $65,980 | $70,480 | $31.72 | 73,450 |
| Engineering services (NAICS 541330) | $72,010 | $72,720 | $34.62 | 38,660 |