Hiring an architectural and civil drafter in Memphis, TN

Do Memphis residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area pay?

Memphis residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $72,828 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $84,610 as the median of the 25 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 14%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole architecture and engineering group, not this one role. In the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area the group covers 25 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from surveying and mapping technicians at $55,890 to aerospace engineers at $129,830 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with architectural and civil drafters at $65,090 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 25 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Memphis residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Memphis?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. O*NET OnLine, SOC 17-3011.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 28.2% of Memphis adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Memphis aged 25 and over.

The average Memphis commute runs 21.3 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 8% of Memphis workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Memphis.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Shelby County, architectural, engineering and related services employs 2,844 and turns over 5.0% a quarter, with 233 hires against 206 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,087 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5413.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about architectural and civil drafters. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $65,090 median in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $13,018 to $19,527 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring an architectural and civil drafter in Memphis

What does it cost to hire an architectural and civil drafter in Memphis?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $65,090 median wage in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $13,018 to $19,527 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for an architectural and civil drafter in Memphis look like?

Employers in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area pay architectural and civil drafters a median of $65,090, with the middle half of the market between $63,970 and $77,500 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $63,970 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Memphis residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area pay?

Memphis residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $72,828 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $84,610 as the median of the 25 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 14%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Memphis?

This is a job zone 3 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 28.2% of Memphis adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Architectural and Civil Drafters: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Memphis
• Every Tennessee city we cover

Memphis is the 2nd largest of 3 Tennessee cities in this dataset.