CAD Designer Salary in Raleigh, NC (2026)
Typical pay is $65,840 a year, with most CAD designers in Raleigh, NC earning between $52,710 and $80,270. Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Salary Calculator›CAD Designer›Raleigh, NC
The typical CAD designer in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area earns $65,840 a year, 5% more than the North Carolina median and about the same as the national median. Early-career pay starts around $52,710, experienced CAD designers earn $80,270 or more, and the top 10% make over $98,180. About 730 people work in this occupation in the metro area.
CAD Designer (Civil and Architectural) salary in Raleigh-Cary, NC
Annual pay, BLS survey of May 2025
What CAD designers do
CAD designers in civil and architectural work turn engineers' and architects' designs into detailed drawings and models using AutoCAD, Civil 3D and Revit. BLS counts them as architectural and civil drafters, which is the occupation used here. BIM and 3D modeling skills usually sit at the higher end of the range.
CAD Designer pay in Raleigh compared
| Area | Typical | Early career | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $65,840 | $52,710 | $80,270 |
| North Carolina | $62,750 | $51,780 | $78,670 |
| United States | $66,150 | $55,650 | $80,870 |
The Raleigh job market
Raleigh draws on Research Triangle Park, large new drug manufacturing plants in Holly Springs and Clayton, and major road and airport projects such as Complete 540 and RDU's new runway.
Other engineering, design and supply chain salaries in Raleigh
| Role | Typical |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineer | $100,000 |
| Electrical Engineer | $130,240 |
| Controls Engineer | $130,240 |
| Civil Engineer | $101,440 |
| Process Engineer | $111,210 |
| Industrial Engineer | $104,030 |
| Aerospace Engineer | Not published |
| Environmental Engineer | $102,980 |
| Engineering Manager | $169,780 |
| Construction Manager | $119,700 |
| Architect | $91,570 |
| Mechanical Designer | $61,220 |
| Supply Chain Analyst | $78,420 |
| Buyer | $77,210 |
| Software Developer | $132,770 |
CAD Designer salary FAQs
How much does a CAD designer make in Raleigh, NC?
The typical (median) CAD designer in Raleigh, NC earns $65,840 a year, or about $31.65 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
What is the entry-level salary for a CAD designer in Raleigh, NC?
Early-career CAD designers in Raleigh, NC typically earn around $52,710 (the 25th percentile), and the lowest-paid 10% earn under $46,240. Degree, internships, licenses and the industry all move starting pay.
How much do experienced CAD designers earn in Raleigh, NC?
Experienced CAD designers in Raleigh, NC earn $80,270 or more (the 75th percentile), and the top 10% earn over $98,180.
Do CAD designers earn more in Raleigh, NC than the national average?
The typical CAD designer in Raleigh, NC earns about the same as the national median of $66,150. Prices in the metro area are 1.8% below the US average (BEA, 2024), so the same salary goes a little further there.
Are CAD designers in demand?
BLS projects employment in this occupation to grow 5.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all jobs, with about 9,100 openings a year nationally as people retire, change jobs or the field grows.
Hiring CAD designers in Raleigh?
Where these numbers come from
Pay figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (OEWS), which surveys about 1.1 million employer locations and is the government's main source of pay by occupation and location. This page uses the May 2025 survey, released in 2026, and updates itself when BLS publishes the next year's figures. Job outlook comes from the BLS Employment Projections for 2025–35. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024, where the US average is 100.
Pay is base wages and salary before tax. It does not include bonuses, overtime, benefits or equity. Early career is the 25th percentile (a quarter of workers earn less), Typical is the median and Experienced is the 75th percentile. The bar shows the full range from the 10th to the 90th percentile. The salary rank check estimates a percentile by drawing straight lines between those five published points.
BLS groups some job titles together. Controls engineers, for example, are counted with electrical engineers, and CAD designers with drafters. Each result names the BLS occupation it uses so you can see exactly what is being measured. BLS does not publish every occupation in every area, for example when too few people in a job were surveyed or when a figure does not meet its reliability standards. When a metro figure is missing, the calculator shows the state figure, or the national figure if the state is also missing, and says so.
BLS occupation used on this page: Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011).