SOC 17-3011BLS OEWS May 2025H-1B LCAs, last 12 months
Prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works. Use knowledge of building materials, engineering practices, and mathematics to complete drawings.
National median · BLS
$66,150
▲ +2.91%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$70,000
▲ +1.64%YoY · 277 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$70,740
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
103,700
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Architectural and Civil Drafters
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 277 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay
$46,260
$55,000
25th
$55,650
$60,902
Median (50th)
$66,150
$70,000
75th
$80,870
$80,000
90th — top pay
$99,710
$95,000
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $70,000 for Architectural and Civil Drafters —
5.8% above
the BLS national median of $66,150.
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Architectural and Civil Drafters
BLS projects employment of architectural and civil drafters to grow 5.2% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 9,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
104,100 → 109,500
+5,400 jobs
Projected change
+5.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
9,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.4% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.
H-1B median$70,000
Change vs prior year+1.64%
After inflation (CPI-U)-1.44%
Wage level
LCAs
Share
P25
Median
P75
Level I
57
20.6%
$51,000
$58,781
$65,000
Level II
99
35.7%
$60,507
$67,787
$72,994
Level III
70
25.3%
$70,000
$76,000
$80,000
Level IV
50
18.1%
$84,250
$91,260
$101,819
H-1B job titles
Salaries by job title in Architectural and Civil Drafters
The 5 most-filed job titles inside SOC 17-3011, from 277 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.
Job title
LCAs
Share
P25
Median
P75
YoY
▶Architectural Designer
88
31.77%
$64,480
$71,808
$78,869
+6.38%
Architectural Designer · full pay range (88 LCAs)
P10$51,969
P25$64,480
Median$71,808
P75$78,869
P90$95,000
Median by H-1B wage level
Level I$53,50016 LCAs
Level II$70,00034 LCAs
Level III$76,00026 LCAs
Level IV$97,50012 LCAs
Exact titles filed (5+ LCAs)
Architectural Designer I8 LCAs · median $45,510
Junior Architectural Designer8 LCAs · median $65,500
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What architectural and civil drafters do
Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
Explain drawings to production or construction teams and provide adjustments as necessary.
Obtain and assemble data to complete architectural designs, visiting job sites to compile measurements as necessary.
Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
Represent architect or engineer on construction site, ensuring builder compliance with design specifications and advising on design corrections, under supervision.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Architectural and Civil Drafters, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $66,150.
