Average CAD Drafter Salary in Philippines for 2026
A CAD drafter in Philippines earns about 275,800 PHP a year. That's 49% below the national average of 535,800 PHP.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Philippines sit around 125,700 PHP a year, while the very top stretches to 436,200 PHP. Everything on this page is in Philippine peso (PHP, symbol ₱), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Philippines, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a CAD drafter make in Philippines?
A typical CAD drafter working in Philippines brings home around 22,983 PHP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 125,700 PHP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 436,200 PHP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior CAD drafter working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.
How CAD drafter pay ranges in Philippines
A good way to think about salary in Philippines is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all CAD drafters in Philippines earn less than 299,500 PHP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 192,000 PHP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 396,300 PHP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of CAD drafters sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 125,700 PHP. The highest stretch to 436,200 PHP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
CAD drafter pay by experience in Philippines
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a CAD drafter in Philippines, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical CAD drafter salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years142,300 PHP
- 2-5 Years+35% from previous192,600 PHP
- 5-10 Years+47% from previous282,500 PHP
- 10-15 Years+22% from previous345,700 PHP
- 15-20 Years+9% from previous378,300 PHP
- 20+ Years+8% from previous409,000 PHP
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 47%. That is the point at which a CAD drafter typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
CAD drafter pay by education in Philippines
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving CAD drafter pay in Philippines. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average CAD drafter salary in Philippines broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Certificate or Diploma168,100 PHP
- Bachelor's Degree+92% from previous322,600 PHP
CAD drafter gender pay gap in Philippines
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Philippines is no exception. Male CAD drafters in Philippines earn an average of 294,700 PHP a year, while female CAD drafters earn around 258,400 PHP. That works out to a 14% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
CAD Drafter gender pay gap
12%
Men earn this much more than women on average in Philippines.
Pay raises for a CAD drafter in Philippines
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in Philippines sees a raise of about 10% every 18 months, which works out to roughly 7% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in Philippines, the national average raise is around 8% every 18 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in Philippines:
- Banking
- Energy
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
CAD drafter bonus rates in Philippines
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
31% of CAD drafters in Philippines reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a CAD drafter a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 69% of CAD drafters reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in Philippines
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
CAD drafter: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in Philippines is about 12% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
10%
Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Philippines on average.
CAD drafter salary by city in Philippines
CAD drafter pay is not even across Philippines. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.
- Quezon City
- Manila
- Kalookan
- Davao
- Cebu
- Cagayan de Oro
- Antipolo
- Taguig
- Paranaque
- Pasig
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quezon City | City | 327,800 PHP | 353,600 PHP | 152,100-522,700 PHP |
| Manila | City | 317,700 PHP | 345,100 PHP | 148,300-507,300 PHP |
| Kalookan | City | 305,600 PHP | 330,700 PHP | 138,800-485,200 PHP |
| Davao | City | 305,600 PHP | 327,300 PHP | 138,800-485,300 PHP |
| Cebu | City | 299,500 PHP | 319,600 PHP | 137,400-472,000 PHP |
| Cagayan de Oro | City | 282,500 PHP | 308,900 PHP | 128,900-450,300 PHP |
| Antipolo | City | 281,500 PHP | 301,700 PHP | 128,500-447,300 PHP |
| Taguig | City | 279,400 PHP | 301,600 PHP | 129,000-444,300 PHP |
| Paranaque | City | 275,800 PHP | 299,500 PHP | 125,700-437,900 PHP |
| Pasig | City | 273,300 PHP | 294,300 PHP | 127,700-431,300 PHP |
| Las Pinas | City | 263,100 PHP | 282,300 PHP | 119,900-419,400 PHP |
| Dasmarinas | City | 259,100 PHP | 279,400 PHP | 119,080-414,000 PHP |
| Makati | City | 254,700 PHP | 273,000 PHP | 115,220-406,300 PHP |
| Valenzuela | City | 253,400 PHP | 273,300 PHP | 117,520-399,900 PHP |
CAD Drafter in Philippines: FAQs
-
How much does a CAD drafter make per month in Philippines?
A CAD drafter in Philippines earns about 22,983 PHP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 275,800 PHP.
-
What's the salary range for a CAD drafter in Philippines?
Entry-level CAD drafters in Philippines start near 125,700 PHP. Top-end pay reaches around 436,200 PHP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 192,000 and 396,300 PHP.
-
Is the median CAD drafter salary in Philippines higher or lower than the average?
The median is 299,500 PHP, higher than the average of 275,800 PHP. Half of CAD drafters in Philippines earn below the median, half earn above it.
-
What's the gender pay gap for CAD drafters in Philippines?
Men working as a CAD drafter in Philippines earn around 14% more than women on average (294,700 vs 258,400 PHP a year).
-
Do CAD drafters in Philippines get bonuses?
About 31% of CAD drafters in Philippines reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.
-
Do CAD drafters earn more in the public or private sector in Philippines?
In Philippines, the public sector pays a CAD drafter about 12% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
-
How often do CAD drafters in Philippines get a pay raise?
A CAD drafter in Philippines sees a raise of around 10% every 18 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.