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Mechanical Drafters: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 17-3013.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
9 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Mechanical Drafters, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for Engineering Assistant (Aerospace Engineering) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| DETAILER | 0108 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DIE DESIGNER | 0113 | Competency-Based: 7,328 hours Hybrid: 7,328 to 9,160 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DRAFTER, AUTO DESIGN LAYOUT | 0019 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DRAFTER, AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN | 0018 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DRAFTER, DETAIL | 0130 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DRAFTER, MECHANICAL | 0136 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DRAFTER, TOOL DESIGN | 0140 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| Engineering Assistant (Aerospace Engineering) | 0764 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| MOLD DESIGNER (Plastics Ind) | 1030 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What mechanical drafters earn, by state
New Mexico has the highest state median for mechanical drafters ($89,940) and South Dakota the lowest ($52,610), across the 48 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $89,940 | $43.24 | 90 |
| Colorado | $85,280 | $41.00 | 580 |
| New Jersey | $83,380 | $40.09 | 690 |
| California | $82,510 | $39.67 | 3,640 |
| Texas | $79,380 | $38.16 | 4,630 |
| Louisiana | $77,730 | $37.37 | 420 |
| North Dakota | $77,570 | $37.29 | 100 |
| Washington | $76,820 | $36.93 | 1,690 |
| Maryland | $76,740 | $36.89 | 360 |
| New York | $76,490 | $36.78 | 1,940 |
| Maine | $76,360 | $36.71 | 620 |
| Nevada | $75,830 | $36.46 | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $75,490 | $36.29 | 620 |
| Oregon | $74,000 | $35.58 | 410 |
| Minnesota | $73,090 | $35.14 | 1,220 |
| Vermont | $73,040 | $35.12 | 70 |
| Michigan | $72,280 | $34.75 | 2,030 |
| Ohio | $70,580 | $33.93 | 1,790 |
| Utah | $70,000 | $33.65 | 490 |
| Virginia | $69,630 | $33.48 | 630 |
| Rhode Island | $69,290 | $33.31 | 100 |
| Kentucky | $68,880 | $33.12 | 510 |
| Connecticut | $68,830 | $33.09 | 450 |
| Florida | $68,050 | $32.72 | 1,540 |
| Arizona | $67,410 | $32.41 | 630 |
| Georgia | $66,670 | $32.06 | 820 |
| Missouri | $66,350 | $31.90 | 870 |
| Kansas | $65,250 | $31.37 | 540 |
| West Virginia | $65,100 | $31.30 | 140 |
| Wisconsin | $63,770 | $30.66 | 1,630 |
| South Carolina | $63,740 | $30.64 | 640 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,480 | $30.52 | 2,330 |
| Oklahoma | $63,440 | $30.50 | 650 |
| Tennessee | $63,390 | $30.48 | 740 |
| Iowa | $63,330 | $30.45 | 630 |
| Illinois | $63,320 | $30.44 | 450 |
| Indiana | $62,820 | $30.20 | 1,300 |
| Nebraska | $61,170 | $29.41 | 530 |
| Wyoming | $61,070 | $29.36 | 60 |
| Mississippi | $60,460 | $29.07 | 260 |
| Arkansas | $59,960 | $28.83 | 250 |
| Idaho | $59,050 | $28.39 | 330 |
| North Carolina | $59,050 | $28.39 | 1,350 |
| Delaware | $57,110 | $27.46 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $55,390 | $26.63 | Not published |
| Alabama | $53,600 | $25.77 | 440 |
| Puerto Rico | $53,470 | $25.71 | 320 |
| South Dakota | $52,610 | $25.29 | 100 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).