2026 Highest Paid Drafting Design Engineering Technology Grads in the Southwest Region

[Drafting Design Engineering Technology](/majors/engineering-technologies/drafting-design-engineering-technology/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their drafting design engineering technology graduates go on to command.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying drafting design engineering technology schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Highest Paid Drafting Design Engineering Technology Grads in the Southwest Region
Below are the schools whose drafting design engineering technology graduates go on to earn the most.
Highest Paid Drafting Design Engineering Technology Graduates
For graduate earnings in drafting design engineering technology, no school beat Lamar Institute Of Technology this year. Set in the city of Beaumont, Lamar Institute Of Technology is a public institution. Drafting Design Engineering Technology graduates of Lamar Institute Of Technology earn a median of about $64,670 a year early in their careers.
Lee College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying drafting design engineering technology schools. Lee College is a public school located in the city of Baytown. Early-career drafting design engineering technology graduates from Lee College make a median of around $61,000 per year.
A rank of #3 makes El Centro College one of the highest-paying schools for drafting design engineering technology. El Centro College is a public school located in the city of Dallas. Students who complete the drafting design engineering technology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,241.
Strong graduate earnings at San Jacinto Community College earned it the #4 place for drafting design engineering technology. San Jacinto Community College is a public school located in the city of Pasadena. Early-career drafting design engineering technology graduates from San Jacinto Community College make a median of around $53,866 per year.
Austin Community College District produces some of the highest-paid graduates in drafting design engineering technology, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Austin, Austin Community College District is a public institution. Students who complete the drafting design engineering technology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,717.
Amarillo College placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for drafting design engineering technology. Amarillo College is a public school located in the city of Amarillo. After graduating, drafting design engineering technology degree recipients from Amarillo College typically earn about $50,391 annually.
Houston Community College landed the #7 spot for drafting design engineering technology salaries this year. Houston Community College is a public school located in the city of Houston. Students who complete the drafting design engineering technology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,016.
Central New Mexico Community College earned the #8 position for drafting design engineering technology graduate earnings this year. Central New Mexico Community College is a public school located in the city of Albuquerque. Drafting Design Engineering Technology graduates of Central New Mexico Community College earn a median of about $48,802 a year early in their careers.
Texas State Technical College earned the #9 position for drafting design engineering technology graduate earnings this year. Texas State Technical College is a public school located in the city of Waco. After graduating, drafting design engineering technology degree recipients from Texas State Technical College typically earn about $49,782 annually.
Narrow Drafting Design Engineering Technology Schools by State
More Drafting Design Engineering Technology Rankings
View All Drafting Design Engineering Technology Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries drafting design engineering technology graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 9 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Graduate earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard) field-of-study earnings.
More about our data sources and methodologies.