Talent Maps / Austin / CAD Designers and Drafters

Austin CAD Designer Talent Map (2026)

What CAD designers and drafters earn in Austin, the data center, semiconductor and civil work driving demand, real posted pay ranges, the software in demand and where new designers are trained.

Hiring CAD designers in Austin?

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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), alongside real pay ranges from Austin postings in 2026. Our CAD recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our CAD designer salary guide and our Austin architect, civil engineer and data center engineer talent maps.

$84,680Median pay for electrical and electronics drafters in Austin, against $76,870 nationallyBLS, May 2025

$77,160Median pay for mechanical drafters in AustinBLS, May 2025

$74,230Median pay for architectural and civil drafters in Austin, against $63,320 in TexasBLS, May 2025

$160,000Top of AWS’s posted Austin range for a data center civil designerJob posting, October 2026

$189,200Top of Jabil’s posted range for a lead mechanical CAD designerJob posting, October 2026

$22.82-25.78City of Austin hourly pay scale for a CAD engineering technicianCity of Austin

CAD designer and drafter salaries in Austin

Electrical drafters are the best paid in Austin, with a median of $84,680, and the top 10% earn $116,650 or more. Electrical, mechanical and architectural and civil drafters all have medians above the national figure, while civil engineering technicians are slightly below it. Architectural and civil drafters earn a median of $74,230, against $63,320 in Texas, $63,120 in Houston and $66,150 nationally.

Specialty (Austin metro)	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th	US median
Electrical and electronics drafters	$51,610	$63,660	$84,680	$98,130	$116,650	$76,870
Mechanical drafters	$54,440	$58,660	$77,160	$95,620	$101,030	$71,550
Architectural and civil drafters	$48,570	$57,860	$74,230	$93,600	$106,300	$66,150
Drafters, all other	$46,090	$53,370	$64,490	$76,800	$95,200	$63,520
Civil engineering technicians	$43,690	$50,560	$62,320	$80,500	$94,870	$64,950

Annual pay. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine.

What Austin CAD jobs are posting in 2026

Role	Software	Posted pay
Amazon (AWS), Civil Designer, data center design	Civil 3D	$116,800 to $160,000
Samsung Austin Semiconductor, Utilities and Infrastructure Designer Engineer, Taylor (engineering degree required)	AutoCAD	$106,000 to $145,000
Jabil, Lead Mechanical CAD Designer, data center infrastructure (Austin or remote)	SolidWorks or Creo	$105,100 to $189,200
Jabil, Lead Mechanical Designer (Austin or remote)	SolidWorks or Creo	$105,100 to $189,200
STV, Senior Subsurface Utility Engineering CAD Technician	Civil 3D; MicroStation and OpenRoads preferred	$58,030 to $65,943

Postings from direct employers, live in early October 2026. Some are open to more than one location.

What the postings show: data center and semiconductor employers set the top of the Austin market, with lead mechanical and civil designer ranges above $100,000. Public-sector and utility CAD work pays far less. The City of Austin’s pay scale for a CAD engineering technician is $22.82 to $25.78 an hour.

The software Austin employers ask for

Civil 3D for data center sites and utility work, asked for by AWS and STV.
MicroStation and OpenRoads for transportation and subsurface utility work, preferred in STV’s posting.
SolidWorks and Creo for mechanical design of data center equipment at Jabil.
AutoCAD for fab utilities and infrastructure at Samsung’s Taylor site.
Revit for architecture and building design, taught in ACC’s architectural BIM and CAD program.

Where Austin’s CAD designers work

Data centers

AWS hires civil designers for data center design, and Jabil hires lead mechanical CAD designers for data center infrastructure. These are the best-paid CAD postings in the metro.

Semiconductors

Samsung Austin Semiconductor hires utilities and infrastructure designers for its Taylor fab, using AutoCAD. See our Austin semiconductor engineering recruiters page.

Civil and utility firms

STV hires subsurface utility CAD technicians across Austin, Round Rock, San Antonio and Houston. See our Austin civil engineer talent map.

Architecture firms

Austin architecture firms hire Revit and BIM designers for projects such as the convention center rebuild and UT Austin’s medical center. See our Austin architect talent map.

Where the talent sits: Austin submarkets

Downtown and central Austin

ArchitectureBIM

Architecture firms’ studios and the $1.6 billion convention center rebuild, due to reopen in early 2029.

Taylor and eastern Williamson County

SemiconductorsUtilities

Samsung’s Taylor fab, where utilities and infrastructure designers were posted at $106,000 to $145,000.

Round Rock and north Austin

CivilUtilities

STV’s subsurface utility CAD role lists Round Rock, and Round Rock ISD’s $933 million bond funds school construction.

Southeast Austin and the airport

AviationCivil

AUS’s expansion includes $820 million for construction of a new Arrivals and Departures Hall and $1.031 billion for the 26-gate Concourse B.

Hays County

K-12Civil

Hays CISD passed about $962.6 million and Dripping Springs ISD about $402.3 million in school bonds in May 2025.

What’s driving demand for CAD designers in Austin

Data centers. AWS and Jabil both posted Austin CAD roles for data center work in October 2026, with ranges up to $160,000 and $189,200.
Semiconductors. Samsung’s Taylor fab hires designers for fab utilities and infrastructure.
Airport. AUS’s expansion program covers a new Arrivals and Departures Hall and a 26-gate Concourse B.
Light rail. Phase 1 of Austin’s light rail is estimated at over $8.2 billion for 9.8 miles and 15 stations, with construction starting in 2027.
Large buildings. The convention center rebuild and UT Austin’s $5 billion medical center are large building projects that need architectural and BIM drafting.

Where new drafters are trained

Austin Community College, architectural BIM and CAD. An associate degree specialization and a 27-credit Level 1 certificate, teaching AutoCAD, Revit and 3ds Max.
Austin Community College, civil CAD. An associate degree specialization and a Level 1 certificate, built on Civil 3D with MicroStation.
Austin Community College, mechanical CAD. An associate degree specialization and a 20-credit mechanical CAD/CAM certificate, teaching Inventor, SolidWorks, Creo and Mastercam.
Texas State Technical College. TSTC’s drafting and design program is offered at Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Waco and online, but not at its Williamson County campus.

What this means if you’re hiring

Data center pay sets the bar. Experienced mechanical and civil designers can compare your offer with six-figure AWS and Jabil ranges.
Pay by specialty. Electrical drafters earn a median of $84,680, against $62,320 for civil engineering technicians.
Test before you hire. A short drawing exercise shows more than a resume. Read our guide on how to hire a CAD designer.
Use ACC. Austin Community College teaches architectural, civil and mechanical CAD, so its students match most local software needs.

Need CAD designers in Austin?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place civil, mechanical, electrical and BIM designers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 512.686.1181 or see our Austin engineering recruiters page.

Hire CAD designers

Frequently asked questions

How much do CAD designers make in Austin?

It depends on the specialty. In Austin, electrical drafters earn a median of $84,680, mechanical drafters $77,160 and architectural and civil drafters $74,230, according to May 2025 BLS data. See our CAD designer salary guide for national figures.

Do CAD designers earn more in Austin or San Antonio?

Mostly Austin. Architectural and civil drafters earn a median of $74,230 in Austin against $58,750 in San Antonio, and electrical drafters $84,680 against $78,530. Mechanical drafters are the exception: $77,160 in Austin and $78,110 in San Antonio.

Where can I study CAD in Austin?

Austin Community College offers architectural, civil and mechanical CAD programs, each with an associate degree specialization and a certificate.

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