Career Overview
Prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works. Use knowledge of building materials, engineering practices, and mathematics to complete drawings.
Also Known As
- Architectural Drafter
- Civil Drafter
- Computer-Aided Drafting Designer (CAD Designer)
- Draftsman
Alternate Job Titles
- Architect
- Architectural CAD Drafter (Architectural Computer-Aided Design Drafter)
- Architectural Computer-Aided Design Technician (Architectural CAD Technician)
- Architectural Designer
- Architectural Drafter
- Architectural Draftsman
- Architectural Technician
- Architectural Technologist
- Architecture Designer
- Architecture Drafter
- Architecture Technician
- AutoCAD Designer (Auto Computer-Aided Design Designer)
- AutoCAD Drafter (Auto Computer-Aided Design Drafter)
- BIM Designer (Building Information Modeling Designer)
- BIM Modeler (Building Information Modeling Modeler)
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
- Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
Emerging Responsibilities
As this field evolves, you may also:
- Use drone technology to capture aerial views and topographical data for civil engineering projects.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Design
- Building and Construction
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Reading Comprehension
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Near Vision
- Visualization
- Deductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Category Flexibility
- Inductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Recognition
- Independence
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Autodesk Revit
- Bentley MicroStation
Tools & Equipment
- Architects' scales
- Backlit digitizers
- Compasses
- Computer aided design CAD multi-unit display graphics cards
- Desktop computers
- Electronic scales
- Estimating keypads
- Flexible curves
- French curves
- Graphics tablets
- Handheld calculators
- Large-format digitizers
- Notebook computers
- Plotters
- Pressure-sensitive graphic tablets
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Spend Time Sitting
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $44,040 |
| Median | $64,280 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $98,190 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 109,550
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Mechanical Drafters
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $68,510
Electrical and Electronics Drafters
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $73,720
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $64,200
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $68,730
Architectural and Engineering Managers
Education: Bachelor's Degree
Median Salary: $167,740
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.