Hiring an architectural and civil drafter in Peoria, AZ

Do Peoria residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area pay?

Peoria residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $112,650 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $84,875 as the median of the 30 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 33%, with the residents figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole architecture and engineering group, not this one role. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area the group covers 30 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from surveying and mapping technicians at $54,870 to computer hardware engineers at $167,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with architectural and civil drafters at $65,310 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 30 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.

Residents here out-earn the midpoint of what the metro pays across this group, which usually points to people commuting out to better-paying employers. Expect a Peoria offer in this field to compete with a drive, not only with the firm down the road.

Is the talent actually in Peoria?

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, 35.5% of Peoria adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Peoria aged 25 and over.

The average Peoria commute runs 28.5 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 20.2% of Peoria 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 Peoria.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Maricopa County, architectural, engineering and related services employs 25,014 and turns over 8.3% a quarter, with 2,581 hires against 1,975 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $9,315 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 normal churn rate, where a well-run search closes on schedule.

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 $65,310 median in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $13,062 to $19,593 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 Peoria

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

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 $65,310 median wage in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $13,062 to $19,593 on the first year salary alone.

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

Employers in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area pay architectural and civil drafters a median of $65,310, with the middle half of the market between $60,090 and $80,340 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $60,090 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Peoria residents in architecture and engineering work earn more than employers in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area pay?

Peoria residents working in architecture and engineering occupations earn a median of $112,650 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $84,875 as the median of the 30 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 33%. 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 Peoria?

This is a job zone 3 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 35.5% of Peoria 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 Peoria
• Every Arizona city we cover

Peoria is the 8th largest of 8 Arizona cities in this dataset.