Architectural and Civil Drafters: 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.
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What Do Architectural and Civil Drafters Do?
The core tasks performed by architectural and civil drafters 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.
- Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective architectural and civil drafters rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 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
Job Outlook
There are roughly 101,030 architectural and civil drafters working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +13.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Architectural and Civil Drafters Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $82,779 |
| Hourly median | $39.80 |
| 10th percentile | $59,386 |
| 25th percentile | $71,083 |
| 75th percentile | $94,476 |
| 90th percentile | $106,173 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $88,430 |
| Alaska | $85,700 |
| Colorado | $76,960 |
| Massachusetts | $75,850 |
| New York | $74,760 |
| California | $74,390 |
| Louisiana | $72,580 |
| Maryland | $71,810 |
| Nevada | $71,460 |
| Maine | $70,760 |
| Montana | $68,010 |
| North Dakota | $68,010 |
| Oregon | $67,430 |
| Minnesota | $67,150 |
| Connecticut | $66,920 |
| Rhode Island | $66,820 |
| Georgia | $65,220 |
| Washington | $65,140 |
| Tennessee | $64,980 |
| Hawaii | $64,110 |
| Virginia | $64,100 |
| West Virginia | $63,880 |
| Iowa | $63,640 |
| North Carolina | $63,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,370 |
| Oklahoma | $63,050 |
| South Carolina | $62,890 |
| Wyoming | $62,360 |
| Utah | $62,350 |
| Missouri | $62,290 |
| Wisconsin | $62,260 |
| Delaware | $62,230 |
| New Hampshire | $62,090 |
| Texas | $61,530 |
| Arizona | $61,460 |
| Florida | $61,080 |
| Kansas | $60,940 |
| Indiana | $60,860 |
| Ohio | $60,540 |
| Vermont | $60,470 |
| Arkansas | $60,390 |
| Nebraska | $60,240 |
| New Mexico | $59,050 |
| Idaho | $58,690 |
| Michigan | $57,990 |
| Mississippi | $57,570 |
| New Jersey | $57,240 |
| Illinois | $56,580 |
| Alabama | $56,030 |
| Kentucky | $54,260 |
| South Dakota | $53,060 |
| Guam | $47,420 |
| Puerto Rico | $35,300 |
Where Architectural and Civil Drafters Earn the Most
Earnings for architectural and civil drafters shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $72,389 | 16.7% | 1.01 |
| New England | $71,500 | 4.6% | 1.03 |
| Rocky Mountains | $69,354 | 6.1% | 1.54 |
| Middle Atlantic | $69,234 | 15.6% | 1.09 |
| Plains States | $63,343 | 7.2% | 1.08 |
| Southeast | $62,465 | 23.1% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $61,602 | 16.3% | 1.32 |
| Great Lakes | $59,779 | 9.9% | 0.75 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $103,710 | 100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $80,690 | 730 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $79,770 | 2,100 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | LA | $78,990 | 430 |
| Lake Charles, LA | LA | $78,390 | 40 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $78,280 | 160 |
| Rochester, MN | MN | $78,160 | 120 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | LA | $77,540 | 60 |
Top Industries Employing Architectural and Civil Drafters
Most architectural and civil drafters are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 82,740 | $64,020 |
| Construction | 11,950 | $67,760 |
| Manufacturing | 7,350 | $62,020 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,820 | $74,270 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,150 | $66,250 |
| Wholesale Trade | 970 | $61,680 |
| Retail Trade | 540 | $55,920 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 370 | $75,680 |
Below are examples of industries where architectural and civil drafters work:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
- Development environment software: C (hot technology)
- Computer aided design CAD software: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for architectural and civil drafters reflects the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Spend Time Sitting
Education and Training
This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Construction Managers (Supplemental)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (Primary-Short)
- Software Developers (Supplemental)
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (Primary-Long)
- Civil Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Electrical Engineers (Supplemental)
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer (Supplemental)
- Industrial Engineers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for architectural and civil drafters commonly pursue programs in:
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
6 programs across 2 majors
Architecture and Related Services
3 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-3011.00 (Architectural and Civil Drafters).
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