Also called: CAD Technician (Civil), Architectural Drafter
Prepares drawings for buildings, roads, bridges and site plans.
You build a 3D model of a new library from the architect's sketches, then draw the floor plans and wall sections the builders will use. In the afternoon you update a road plan after the survey crew found a buried gas line.
BLS May 2024 median $64,280; percentiles approximate.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate in drafting or architectural technology.
Ways in: 2-year college, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Drafting & Design Technology, CAD Technology, Architectural Technology.
Growing slowly (about 0% over 10 years). BLS projects little or no change for drafters overall.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. BIM and AI generate plans and site drawings automatically, so fewer drafters; coordinating complex projects stays human.
Classes: Drafting or architecture CTE, Geometry, Art, Computer science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.