Talent Maps / Orlando / CAD Designers

Orlando CAD Designer Talent Map (2026)

What CAD designers and drafters earn in metro Orlando, which architecture, engineering and manufacturing employers hire them, where in the metro they work, and the projects competing for them.

Hiring CAD designers in Orlando?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers CAD designers and drafters in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and employer data published from 2023 to 2026. Our CAD recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Orlando architect, mechanical engineer and electrical engineer talent maps.

$63,120Median architectural and civil drafter pay in metro OrlandoBLS, May 2025

$75,030Median electrical and electronics drafter pay in metro OrlandoBLS, May 2025

$500MWestcourt mixed-use district downtown, with 900,000 square feet of buildingENR, 2026

$423MAdventHealth’s 10-story Lake Nona hospitalConnect CRE

$374MAirside 2 gate expansion at Orlando International, with at least 7 gatesGOAA, 2025

$6BEpic Universe, which opened on May 22, 2025Fast Company, 2025

CAD designer and drafter salaries in Orlando

BLS has no single CAD designer code, so this page uses its three drafter codes. The main one, architectural and civil drafters, has an Orlando median of $63,120 a year, $480 above the Florida median of $62,640 and $3,030 below the national median of $66,150. The hourly median is $30.35. The 90th percentile is $95,720, $570 above the state.

Annual pay percentile	Orlando metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$46,340	$43,680	$46,260
25th percentile	$50,950	$48,380	$55,650
Median	$63,120	$62,640	$66,150
75th percentile	$79,930	$77,580	$80,870
90th percentile	$95,720	$95,150	$99,710

Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Electrical and electronics drafters (17-3012) earn a median of $75,030 in Orlando, $2,020 above the Florida median of $73,010 and $1,840 below the national median of $76,870. Their 10th to 90th percentile range is $50,640 to $94,320. Mechanical drafters (17-3013) earn a median of $63,140, which is $4,910 below the Florida median of $68,050 and $8,410 below the national median of $71,550. Their range is $39,350 to $97,090.

What the spread means in practice: Tampa pays architectural and civil drafters a median of $65,160, which is $2,040 more than Orlando. Tampa’s 90th percentile is $96,500, against $95,720 in Orlando, so the two metros are close at the top.

Where Orlando’s CAD and drafting work is

Architecture firms

HKS opened its Orlando studio in 1995. HuntonBrady Architects was founded in 1947, has offices in Orlando and Tampa and has more than 100 employees. Baker Barrios is architect and planner for the $500 million Westcourt district and designer of the Bob Carr Theater reuse at Creative Village.

Engineering and airport teams

Kimley-Horn provided airfield, utility and landside civil engineering services on Orlando International’s South Terminal Complex, which it puts at $2.75 billion. HNTB was architect of record and Fentress Architects lead designer, and ESA is the architect of AdventHealth’s Lake Nona hospital.

Manufacturers and utilities

Lockheed Martin has 14,000 employees in the Orlando area and Siemens Energy has 3,141, according to the Orlando Economic Partnership’s top employers list. Orlando Utilities Commission serves a projected 259,653 retail customers in 2026 and operates six solar facilities.

Owners

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, AdventHealth, Orlando Health, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are the owners behind the largest building projects in the metro.

Where the talent sits: Orlando submarkets

Downtown Orlando and Creative Village

ArchitectureCivil

HKS (225 E Robinson St) and HuntonBrady (333 S Garland Ave) have downtown offices, and Westcourt and Creative Village are nearby.

Central Florida Research Park

ElectricalMechanical

Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems and AMD’s research and design center are in or near the park.

Lake Nona

HealthcareEnergy

AdventHealth’s hospital is under construction, and Siemens Energy plans to move there in 2027.

Orlando International Airport

AviationCivil

Airside 2 adds at least 7 gates, and a 2023 board update said Terminal C Phase 2 planning covers 16 to 24 more.

What’s driving demand for CAD designers in Orlando

Westcourt. The $500 million district has a 265-key hotel, 269 homes, a 3,500-capacity venue and up to 310,000 square feet of office space. Opening is projected for late 2028.
Airport work. The aviation authority approved $374 million for Airside 2 in September 2025, with planning starting in 2026.
Healthcare buildings. AdventHealth’s Lake Nona hospital will open with 80 beds and can grow to 320, and was expected to open in 2026.
Theme parks. Epic Universe opened May 22, 2025. At Walt Disney World, Monstropolis and Tropical Americas are due in 2027 and Lakeshore Lodge opens on July 1, 2027.
Power projects. Orlando Utilities Commission plans to convert Stanton Unit 2 to natural gas by the end of 2027 and expects peak summer demand to rise from 1,565 MW in 2026 to 1,776 MW in 2035.
Growth. Metro Orlando gained 37,690 people between July 2024 and July 2025.

CAD specialties tied to these projects

Revit and BIM drafters for architecture firms on Westcourt, the hospital and airport buildings.
Civil and site drafters for airfield, utility and landside work like the South Terminal program.
Electrical drafters for Orlando Utilities Commission and for defense and energy manufacturers.
Mechanical and SolidWorks drafters for manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin and Siemens Energy.
MEP drafters for hospitals, hotels and park buildings.

The talent pipeline

Valencia College. Its Associate in Science in Computer Aided Drafting and Design teaches AutoCAD, Revit and SolidWorks. Valencia says it is the second largest drafting technology program in Florida and reports a 90 to 95% placement rate for its A.S. and certificate graduates.
UCF. UCF’s Bachelor of Design in Architecture is a 2+2+2 path with Valencia College and a University of Florida master’s degree, and feeds architecture firms.
Related guides. See our CAD designer salary page and our guide to hiring a CAD designer.

What this means if you’re hiring

Price by specialty. Electrical drafters earn $11,910 more at the median than architectural and civil drafters in Orlando.
Expect Tampa to compete for civil and architectural drafters. Tampa’s median is $2,040 higher.
Test mechanical offers locally. Orlando’s mechanical drafter median of $63,140 is $4,910 below the state median, and the 10th percentile is $6,410 below.
Screen on software. Valencia’s program teaches AutoCAD, Revit and SolidWorks, so ask candidates which of the three they use daily.

Need CAD designers in Orlando?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place CAD designers, drafters, Revit and BIM specialists and SolidWorks designers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 813.701.2797 or see our Orlando engineering recruiters page.

Hire CAD designers

Frequently asked questions

How much do CAD designers make in Orlando?

BLS does not publish a CAD designer code. Architectural and civil drafters in metro Orlando earn a median of $63,120 a year, electrical and electronics drafters earn $75,030 and mechanical drafters earn $63,140, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half of architectural and civil drafters earn between $50,950 and $79,930.

Do CAD designers earn more in Orlando or Tampa?

Tampa, by a small margin. Tampa’s median for architectural and civil drafters is $65,160, against $63,120 in Orlando. See our Tampa CAD designer talent map.

Who hires CAD designers in Orlando?

Architecture firms such as HKS, HuntonBrady and Baker Barrios, engineering firms such as Kimley-Horn, manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin and Siemens Energy, and owners such as Orlando Utilities Commission, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and AdventHealth.

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