Average CAD Drafter Salary in United Kingdom for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average CAD Drafter salary for 2024 in United Kingdom and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the British pound. To keep things simple, we are using the GBP currency code instead of the currency symbol £.

How Much Does a CAD Drafter Make in United Kingdom?

A CAD Drafter working in United Kingdom will typically earn around 35,500 GBP per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 17,500 GBP to the highest average salary of 57,200 GBP.

Average Annual Salary
35,500 GBP
Average Monthly Salary
2,958 GBP

Lowest Annual Salary
17,500 GBP
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,458 GBP

Highest Annual Salary
57,200 GBP
Highest Monthly Salary
4,766 GBP

These are average salaries for a CAD Drafter in United Kingdom and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a CAD Drafter to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

CAD Drafter salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of CAD Drafter Salaries in United Kingdom

So we've looked at the average salaries a CAD Drafter will earn in United Kingdom. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a CAD Drafter can earn between 17,500 GBP and 57,200 GBP on average in United Kingdom. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a CAD Drafter in United Kingdom is 36,800 GBP. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 36,800 GBP, and 50% of the population earn more than 36,800 GBP.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average CAD Drafter salary in United Kingdom, 25% of the population are earning less than 22,800 GBP while 75% of the population earn more than 22,800 GBP.

75% of the population earn less than 52,600 GBP, and 25% of the population earn more than 52,600 GBP.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

CAD Drafter Salary by Experience Level in United Kingdom

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average cad drafter salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A CAD Drafter in United Kingdom that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 20,300 GBP.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average CAD Drafter salary would increase to 26,400 GBP.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a CAD Drafter, the average salary would be 37,100 GBP.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 44,700 GBP.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A CAD Drafter with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 48,000 GBP.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a CAD Drafter with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 51,800 GBP.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
20,300 GBP
2-5 Years +34%
26,400 GBP
5-10 Years +48%
37,100 GBP
10-15 Years +22%
44,700 GBP
15-20 Years +9%
48,000 GBP
20+ Years +8%
51,800 GBP

CAD Drafter Salary by Education Level in United Kingdom

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a CAD Drafter in United Kingdom based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A CAD Drafter in United Kingdom with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 20,000 GBP.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A CAD Drafter in United Kingdom with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 42,500 GBP.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
20,000 GBP
Bachelor's Degree +93%
42,500 GBP

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United Kingdom is around 29,600 to 88,700 GBP and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

CAD Drafter Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In United Kingdom, a male cad drafter will earn an average of 35,000 GBP, while a female cad drafter will earn around 35,300 GBP.

This means that a male cad drafter earns approximately 1% less than a female cad drafter for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United Kingdom

Male
35,000 GBP
Female +1%
35,300 GBP

CAD Drafter Average Pay Raise in United Kingdom

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a CAD Drafter in United Kingdom is around 11% every 15 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United Kingdom is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 15 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a CAD Drafter in United Kingdom can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United Kingdom for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United Kingdom.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
3%
Energy
6%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
3%
Travel
6%
Construction
9%
Education
3%

CAD Drafter Bonus and Incentive Rates in United Kingdom

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A CAD Drafter is a low bonus based job, with 35% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

65% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
35%
No Bonus
65%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United Kingdom earn approximately 7% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
72,700 GBP
Private Sector -7%
68,200 GBP

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a CAD Drafter

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a CAD Drafter in United Kingdom.

Job Title Category Salary
Architect Architecture 83,400 GBP
Architectural Designer Architecture 81,300 GBP
Architectural Drafter Architecture 34,400 GBP
Architectural Manager Architecture 134,700 GBP
Architectural Technician Architecture 47,100 GBP
Architectural Technologist Architecture 49,800 GBP
Architecture Consultant Architecture 117,100 GBP
Architecture Estimating Manager Architecture 95,400 GBP
Architecture Specifications Writer Architecture 33,600 GBP
Assistant Architectural Manager Architecture 123,800 GBP
CAD Manager Architecture 85,100 GBP
Design and Decoration Assistant Architecture 36,800 GBP
Design Manager Architecture 116,400 GBP
Drafter Architecture 33,000 GBP
Drafting Supervisor Architecture 61,400 GBP
Facilities and Project Manager Architecture 119,700 GBP
Facility Planner Architecture 67,500 GBP
Interior Architect Architecture 68,900 GBP
Interior Decorator Architecture 63,500 GBP
Interior Design Assistant Architecture 31,800 GBP
Interior Designer Architecture 67,300 GBP
Kitchen Designer Architecture 42,700 GBP
Landscape Architect Architecture 98,300 GBP
Landscape Artist Architecture 58,200 GBP
Landscaper Architecture 51,400 GBP
Mapping Technician Architecture 31,800 GBP
Mechanical Drafter Architecture 43,200 GBP
Photogrammetrist Architecture 33,300 GBP

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United Kingdom, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Aberdeen 36,700 GBP
Abingdon 32,900 GBP
Armagh 38,100 GBP
Bangor 32,200 GBP
Belfast 40,900 GBP
Birmingham 42,400 GBP
Bradford 39,100 GBP
Brighton 38,700 GBP
Bristol 39,800 GBP
Cambridge 35,400 GBP
Canterbury 33,000 GBP
Cardiff 37,800 GBP
Chester 33,300 GBP
Coventry 40,300 GBP
Derby 40,500 GBP
Derry 33,800 GBP
Dundee 34,800 GBP
Durham 34,000 GBP
Edinburgh 38,000 GBP
Exeter 34,300 GBP
Glasgow 42,000 GBP
Gloucester 35,100 GBP
Hartlepool 31,700 GBP
Inverness 31,700 GBP
Kingston upon Hull 39,500 GBP
Kirkwall 29,100 GBP
Leeds 44,900 GBP
Leicester 40,300 GBP
Lincoln 36,800 GBP
Lisburn 31,700 GBP
Liverpool 43,200 GBP
London 42,700 GBP
Manchester 38,900 GBP
Newcastle 36,800 GBP
Newport 36,500 GBP
Newry 35,300 GBP
Norwich 33,800 GBP
Nottingham 39,400 GBP
Oxford 33,300 GBP
Peterborough 39,800 GBP
Plymouth 40,300 GBP
Poole 36,800 GBP
Portsmouth 36,500 GBP
Ripon 32,300 GBP
Salisbury 34,000 GBP
Sheffield 39,000 GBP
Somerset 40,300 GBP
Southampton 35,400 GBP
St Davids 32,200 GBP
Stirling 36,400 GBP
Stromness 32,200 GBP
Strontian 30,300 GBP
Swansea 39,800 GBP
Truro 30,200 GBP
Wakefield 33,600 GBP
Wells 35,500 GBP
Winchester 35,300 GBP
Wolverhampton 40,900 GBP
York 36,700 GBP

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United Kingdom.

City Average Salary
England 65,800 GBP
Northern Ireland 35,300 GBP
Scotland 48,000 GBP
Wales 34,000 GBP

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