All careersEngineering & science

Drafter (CAD)

$66,150
median / year
$46,260 – $99,710
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Create detailed technical drawings and plans from designs using computer-aided design software.

You may also see this posted as: Architectural Drafter, Civil Drafter, Computer-Aided Drafting Designer (CAD Designer), Draftsman, Architectural Designer, Architectural Draftsman.

Where you work

Offices, often on a design team

The hours

Full time, regular hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
  • Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
  • Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
  • Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
  • Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.

Good fit if you like…

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Artistic

creating, designing, performing, or working without a rigid script

O*NET job zone 3 of 5

Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityCautiousnessAchievement Orientation

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Adobe Creative Cloud softwareAdobe IllustratorAdobe PhotoshopAutodesk AutoCADAutodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DAutodesk Navisworks

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$66,150
per year
Hourly median
$31.80
per hour
What most earn
$46,260–$99,710
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~10,000
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+4.1%
About average
Working in the U.S.
103,700
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 0.7% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Associate degree

Training path: Associate degree or CAD certificate.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

Find state licensesFind recognized certifications

What it takes

CAD softwareTechnical drawingMathAttention to detail

The honest take

Turns engineers' and architects' designs into detailed technical drawings using CAD software.

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Standard Occupational Classification 17-3011. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.