Drafter / CAD Technician salary — 2026 national benchmark
Drafters and CAD technicians produce the detailed drawings that turn substation engineering designs into buildable construction packages. They typically work in AutoCAD, MicroStation, or specialized utility CAD suites under the direction of a substation designer or P&C engineer. The role is a critical bench role at most utilities and EPC firms — capacity often gates how many substation projects can move through engineering at once.
National salary range
Drafter / CAD Technician, all U.S. geographies, base salary plus total cash compensation (TCC = base + bonus).
Effective 2026-05-01 · Data quarter Q2 2026
Typical responsibilities
- •Detailed P&C and substation drawings from engineer redlines
- •Drawing-control compliance with utility CAD standards
- •Revision management and as-built updates
- •Title block, layer, and lineweight standardization
- •Cross-checking design packages for completeness
State-level breakouts
Salary varies significantly by region. Click a state below for a state-specific salary range.
No state-level data published yet.
Get represented for Drafter / CAD Technician roles
Power Grid Talent represents drafter / cad technicians to U.S. utilities, electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, and EPC firms. Your name stays confidential until we submit you to a specific employer with your approval — your current employer never finds out you're looking.