CAD Coordinators are among the most diverse tech workers in the US. Their skills, education, and the size of the organization where they work all affect their earnings potential. Even more importantly, CAD Coordinators work in different industries. Consider the following fields where CAD Coordinator positions are essential:

  • Architectural
  • Construction
  • Engineering
  • Manufacturing
  • Operations
  • Product Design

To decide whether or not to train for a CAD Coordinator role, you must understand the general salary ranges for this position in your preferred industry or sector. You should also know how to create opportunities to optimize your salary once you enter your field of choice. Read on to learn more about average compensation for this key role and what affects it.

What is a CAD Coordinator?

A CAD Coordinator generally provides support for design, engineering, or manufacturing teams. Responsibilities for CAD Coordinator positions vary widely, and different industries can have unique requirements and unusual job titles. They can range from updating software to providing training or maintaining CAD standards.

CAD Coordinators may design and prepare electronic working plans, maps, and project drawings. Others receive customer 2D drawings and prepare them for release to a CAD design or engineering team. Firmwide CAD Coordinators typically work in a supervisory capacity, managing and coordinating all CAD-related activities.

CAD Coordinators are oftentimes experts in building information modeling (BIM), and some positions have titles like CAD/BIM Design Coordinator. These roles are often comparable to those with titles like Firmwide CAD Coordinator, which means they support multiple design and engineering teams. Read on for additional requirements and specifics for this unique position.

What Affects Your Pay as a CAD Coordinator

As mentioned above, multiple factors affect the annual compensation rate for CAD Coordinators. The following section addresses these, but bear in mind that there may be additional factors related to specific positions. Consider also researching salaries on your own, on sites like Salary.com, Indeed, or ZipRecruiter, to get up-to-the-minute pay rates for CAD Coordinator roles in various fields.

Education

Education for CAD Coordinators includes everything from a high school diploma, associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree to certificates of completion from private course providers and certification credentials from relevant organizations. Some CAD Coordinators also have relevant education in other fields, like project management. Education can have a major impact on salary because some organizations require a degree and a specific number of years of experience for the role.

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Experience

Experience is essential for CAD Coordinator roles. While some smaller organizations will promote a CAD Drafter or CAD Designer to the position, many job openings for CAD Coordinators specify a minimum number of years of on-the-job experience. However, the good news is that freelance work, paid or unpaid internships, and other volunteer work may also count toward the experience requirement. Additionally, real-world CAD project experience in a bootcamp or certificate program may factor into a candidate’s marketability for a CAD Coordinator job opening.

Industry

Your chosen industry or sector can also have a profound effect on compensation packages. A small architecture consulting service may not be able to afford the salary a CAD Coordinator can get from a major corporation. Similarly, a large tech firm will likely pay more than a small nonprofit.

Freelance CAD Coordinators may be able to set their own rates. However, they usually must work primarily with small to medium-sized businesses and nonprofits and must accommodate the budgets of these organizations. The same goes for contract, part-time, remote, or other alternatives to the direct report 40-hour full-time employee.

Location

Location is one of the most crucial considerations on annual base pay. While it might seem obvious that major metro areas typically pay higher salaries than remote small towns, higher cost-of-living expenses can outweigh that reward. For a better idea of how much location affects salary, research small town and large metropolitan areas and their average cost of living when comparing salary figures.

Specialization

CAD Coordinators often specialize in certain areas, and these specializations can have a significant effect on starting salaries. For example, an in-demand specialized skill like building information modeling (BIM) can help a CAD Designer who becomes a CAD Coordinator obtain much higher compensation and career growth, depending on their field and expertise level.

Title

While the title itself might not make a direct impact on salary, some titles signal roles with far greater responsibilities than the average position. For example, a Senior CAD Coordinator position might pay more than one without seniority. More importantly, Firmwide CAD Coordinators typically work for larger organizations, and these positions may require significant management experience and the ability to train local or regional CAD Coordinators in the same organization. Finally, positions with added verbiage in the title, like BIM/CAD Coordinator, may also signal above-average levels of responsibility.

Pay Range for CAD Coordinators

The national pay range for US CAD Coordinators is wide, with Glassdoor reporting an average yearly salary between around $65,000 to as high as $110,000, not including 401(k) plans, annual bonuses, or additional compensation. Indeed reports an average annual base pay for CAD Coordinators of about $65,000, precisely at the lower end of the Glassdoor reported figure.

This might seem strange, but as noted above, factors like location, industry, and experience have a significant impact on salary ranges. Major metropolitan areas and those with a higher cost of living and concentration of tech jobs than the national average typically pay higher salaries. For example, Glassdoor reports an average annual salary of between $74,000 and $124,000 for CAD Coordinators in New York City. Indeed estimates that the average yearly pay for NYC CAD Coordinators is around $88,000—35% higher than the national average.

Similarly, Indeed reports an average annual salary of about $139,000 in tech hub Orange, California. Contrast these figures with a smaller city—for example, a CAD Coordinator in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma can anticipate an average yearly base pay of around $62,000, according to Indeed. Although this figure is much lower than the salary ranges for New York City or Orange, California, factors like quality of life or cost of living in Oklahoma might offset the difference in salary. For this reason, always research the average cost of living when comparing salary figures, alongside other factors like local culture, taxes, climate, or whatever aspects you consider important.

Highest-Earning Job Titles for CAD Coordinators

CAD Coordinator roles come in many forms, some referencing management, others mentioning design or drawing, and others listing related expertise like BIM (building information management). Consider the following titles that yield the highest-earning salary ranges in recent online job postings.

CAD Services Specialist

Many CAD Coordinators start as Designers or Drafters or in other CAD-centered roles. The CAD Services Specialist title comes up in online searches for open CAD Coordinator positions, and its requirements mirror those of typical CAD Coordinator jobs. In Washington, for example, a recent posting for a CAD Services Specialist paid $50 to $75/hour, which comes out to about $104,000 to $156,000 annually.

Firmwide CAD Coordinator

The Firmwide CAD Coordinator role typically reflects a higher management level of CAD coordination, which may include training CAD Coordinators at the local or regional level. A recent job posting for a Firmwide CAD Coordinator in Minnesota listed an annual salary of between $100,000 and $120,000. Positions at these levels may require years of experience, CAD certifications, and educational specifications. 

CAD Manager/Senior Technician

Comparable to the Firmwide CAD Coordinator title, positions that reference seniority or management often reflect a level of responsibility over and above a standard CAD Coordinator role. These roles may pay a salary comparable to the Firmwide CAD Coordinator, as in a recent Minnesota job posting with an annual salary between $100,000 and $125,000.

VDC/BIM Coordinator

Many CAD Coordinator roles require expertise in building information management (BIM), virtual design and construction (VDC), or both. The title VDC/BIM Coordinator is an example. Here, CAD proficiency is an assumption. A recent Florida online job posting for a position with this title lists an annual salary between $70,000 and $120,000. Other roles that may be CAD Coordinator roles without CAD in the title include VDC Coordinator, BIM Coordinator, and MEP Coordinator.

CAD Project Coordinator

Smaller companies that require CAD expertise may need someone to create their construction documents and 3D models while performing additional tasks historically associated with a CAD Coordinator role. In this case, the CAD Project Coordinator makes sense. This role can include supervising teams, coordinating with other departments, and preparing bills of materials. A recent posting for a Florida CAD Project Coordinator position paid an annual salary of $65,000 to $85,000.

Learn the Skills to Become a CAD Coordinator at Noble Desktop

While some CAD roles will require expertise in a system software like SolidWorks from Dassault Systèmes, most will require AutoCAD. Training for a CAD Coordinator role typically starts with one or more Autodesk programs, from AutoCAD to Revit, Fusion 360, and Navisworks.

Noble Desktop provides multiple AutoCAD training options for individuals and organizations. Their AutoCAD Level I class is an 18-hour program available live online via teleconferencing or in person at their state-of-the-art Manhattan headquarters. Beginners learn to create drawings for architectural or mechanical applications. Although in-person classes focus on AutoCAD for PC, Mac users may attend online. Noble offers intermediate and advanced training through AutoCAD Levels II and III classes.

Applicants can save by taking AutoCAD Level I within one of several immersive programs. The following courses include beginner to intermediate or advanced AutoCAD training:

  • AutoCAD Bootcamp - The comprehensive AutoCAD Bootcamp combines AutoCAD Levels I and II for a total of 30 hours of training. Attendees learn basic and intermediate AutoCAD skills like drawing, editing, advanced layer techniques, and data tables in a beginner-friendly curriculum.
  • AutoCAD Masterclass - Noble Desktop’s AutoCAD Masterclass adds an 18-hour advanced AutoCAD Level III course to the AutoCAD Bootcamp modules. While also open to beginners, this 48-hour program covers advanced object types and interface techniques. Graduates rate the AutoCAD Masterclass highly, 4.7 out of 5 stars. 
  • AutoCAD Certification Program - The 54-hour AutoCAD Certification Program adds six hours of private tutoring to the AutoCAD Masterclass curriculum to prepare students to sit for the Autodesk Certificated Professional in AutoCAD for Design and Drafting exam. Tuition also covers proctoring for the exam and a free retake if needed. Attendees can substitute an additional hour of tutoring in place of the exam if they choose. 

Courses like the certification program can help professional AutoCAD users stand out from the field in a crowded job market. However, Autodesk also suggests that the certification exam usually requires between 400 and 1,200 on-the-job hours using the AutoCAD software to prepare for testing.