SalaryExplorer

SOC 17-3011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Architectural and Civil Drafters — Florence

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL · 8 metro areas compared

$48,520 /year
$23.33per hour
30jobs in area
−26.7%vs US median

The median wage for Architectural and Civil Drafters in Florence, AL is $48,520 per year, substantially below the national median of $66,150 — a gap of 26.7%.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $66,15010TH$35,790MEDIAN$48,52075TH$63,13090TH$70,040

How pay has moved

$57,945$32,595202020212022202320242025$48,520
$36,820 in 2020 to $48,520 in 2025, +31.8% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to grow about as fast as average

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
+4.1%
Openings per year
10,000
Typical entry-level education
Associate's degree

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Architectural and Civil Drafters in Florence, AL is $48,520 per year, substantially below the national median of $66,150 — a gap of 26.7%. Half of workers earn between $38,530 and $63,130. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $35,790 and the ninetieth at $70,040.

The area has 30 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.5 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Huntsville records the highest median at $60,170. Of the 219 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 103rd.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$35,790−45.9%
25th$38,530−41.8%
Median (50th)$48,520−26.7%
75th$63,130−4.6%
90th$70,040+5.9%
Mean$50,770−23.3%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Alabama

Median annual wage for Architectural and Civil Drafters, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Huntsville$60,170150
2Birmingham$57,510280
3Mobile$56,80090
4Montgomery$52,55080
5Daphne$52,26050
6Auburn$50,95040
7Dothan$49,26040
8Tuscaloosa$47,46050

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Florence run 15.2% below the national average, so the median of $48,520 goes as far as $57,217 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 13.5% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$48,520as reported by BLS

Local price level

84.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$57,217US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $48,520 a year, 26.7% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $35,790 to $70,040 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 30 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Huntsville, at $60,170.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Architectural and Civil Drafters in Florence, AL?

The median annual wage is $48,520, or $23.33 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $66,150, so pay in Florence, AL is 26.7% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Florence, AL earns more than $70,040 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $35,790 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Huntsville, at $60,170 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 30 jobs in this occupation in Florence, AL. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.