Career
Architectural and civil drafters
Turn architects' and engineers' designs into detailed plans.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
- Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
- Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
- Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
- Explain drawings to production or construction teams and provide adjustments as necessary.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $66,150 a year and 9,100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Architectural Technology/TechnicianCIP 04.0901
- Architectural and Building Sciences/TechnologyCIP 04.0902
- Architectural Sciences and Technology, OtherCIP 04.0999
- Architectural Engineering Technologies/TechniciansCIP 15.0101
- Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, GeneralCIP 15.1301
- CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.1302
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Mechanical Drafters$71,550 · -6.0%
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters$76,870 · -3.4%
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$64,950 · +3.2%
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 · +1.3%
- Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 · +5.5%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.