Drafters
Drafters
Career Overview
Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. Most workers specialize in architectural, civil, electrical, or mechanical drafting and use technical drawings to help design everything from microchips to skyscrapers.
Education
Drafters typically need specialized training, which can be accomplished through a technical program that leads to a certificate or an associate’s degree in drafting.
Future Outlook
Overall employment of drafters is projected to decline 4 percent from 2019 to 2029. Employment growth will vary by specialty.
Work Environment
Although drafters spend much of their time working on computers in an office, some may visit jobsites in order to collaborate with architects and engineers. Most drafters work full time.
Recommended High School Courses
- Technical Writing
- Drafting
- Computer-aided Design Competency
- Computer Applications
- Blueprint reading
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
- Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
- Operate computer systems.
- Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
- Monitor processes for compliance with standards.
- Provide technical guidance to other personnel.
- Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
- Direct design or development activities.
- Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.
- Verify mathematical calculations.
- Determine operational methods.
- Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
- Estimate operational costs.
- Collect data about project sites.
- Prepare contracts, disclosures, or applications.
- Prepare technical reports for internal use.
- Create physical models or prototypes.
Schools
Schools
Aidt Maritime Training Ce...
Alaska Technical Center
American River College
Arizona Western College
Atlanta Technical College
Atlantic Technical Colleg...
Austin Community College...
Bakersfield College- Pano...
Brazosport College
Central Arizona College
Central New Mexico Commun...
Central Texas College
Clark State Community Col...
College Of Lake County
Daytona State College
Delaware Technical And Co...
Des Moines Area Community...
Fashion Institute Of Tech...
Francis Tuttle Technology...
Fresno City College
Georgia Piedmont Technica...
Greenville Technical Coll...
Lanier Technical College-...
Massachusetts Bay Communi...
Montana State University-...
Montana State University-...
Moraine Valley Community...
Oakton Community College-...
Pikes Peak Community Coll...
Rochester Institute Of Te...
Roosevelt University
Spokane Community College
St. Louis Community Colle...
Suffolk County Community...
Suny Corning Community Co...
Suny Genesee Community Co...
Suny Jamestown Community...
Suny Niagara County Commu...
Suny Rockland Community C...
Suny Ulster County Commun...
Suny Westchester Communit...
Tidewater Community Colle...
University Of Alaska Fair...
Washburn University- Inst...
Waubonsee Community Colle...
Western Technical College
Westmoreland County Commu...
Academy Canada- St. Jo...
Aviron Technical Insti...
Cdi College- Burnaby C...
Cdi College- South Sur...
Cdi College- Vancouver...
Herzing College- Montr...
Ics Canada
Manitoba Institute Of...
Medicine Hat College
Nova Scotia Community...
Stanford International...
Vancouver Career Colle...
Vancouver Career Colle...
Vancouver Career Colle...
Vancouver Career Colle...
Vancouver Career Colle...
Vancouver Career Colle...
Vancouver Community Co...
Potential Scholarships
5 Strong Scholarship
Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...
Curt Pozan Trades Scholar...
Approx Salary Expectation
Currency:
Low End:
$35,920.00 /yr
Avg/Med:
$56,830.00 /yr
High End:
$87,720.00 /yr
Related Careers
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.