Life As an Electrical Drafter
Career Description Develop specifications and instructions for installation of voltage transformers, overhead or underground cables, and related electrical equipment used to conduct electrical energy from transmission lines or high-voltage distribution lines to consumers.
Life As an Electrical Drafter
- Determine the order of work and the method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
- Measure factors that affect installation and arrangement of equipment, such as distances to be spanned by wire and cable.
- Prepare and interpret specifications, calculating weights, volumes, and stress factors.
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians and drafters.
- Design electrical systems, such as lighting systems.
- Use computer-aided drafting equipment or conventional drafting stations, technical handbooks, tables, calculators, and traditional drafting tools, such as boards, pencils, protractors, and T-squares.
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Skills Needed to be an Electrical Drafter
Electrical Drafters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Types of Electrical Drafter
- CAD Operator (Computer Aided Design Operator)
- Electrical Drafter
- CAD Draftsman (Computer-Aided Design Draftsman)
- Staking Engineer
- Engineering Associate
Electrical Drafter Job Outlook
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 27,400 jobs in the United States for Electrical Drafter. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,900 new jobs for Electrical Drafter by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 2,600 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Electrical Drafter are Nevada, Colorado, and Vermont. Watch out if you plan on working in Washington, Wyoming, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for an Electrical Drafter
The typical yearly salary for Electrical Drafters is somewhere between $36,660 and $99,240.

Electrical Drafters who work in District of Columbia, Washington, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
How much do Electrical Drafters make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $55,550 |
Alaska | $67,360 |
Arizona | $63,790 |
Arkansas | $60,730 |
California | $76,420 |
Colorado | $60,430 |
Connecticut | $58,250 |
Delaware | $65,480 |
District of Columbia | $87,870 |
Florida | $55,390 |
Georgia | $54,220 |
Hawaii | $63,020 |
Idaho | $44,760 |
Illinois | $68,930 |
Indiana | $57,980 |
Iowa | $61,380 |
Kansas | $45,910 |
Kentucky | $58,200 |
Louisiana | $68,510 |
Maine | $58,190 |
Maryland | $61,750 |
Massachusetts | $63,880 |
Michigan | $47,620 |
Minnesota | $63,870 |
Mississippi | $60,340 |
Missouri | $61,420 |
Montana | $51,960 |
Nebraska | $56,520 |
Nevada | $57,850 |
New Hampshire | $65,740 |
New Jersey | $69,950 |
New Mexico | $74,870 |
New York | $69,500 |
North Carolina | $47,690 |
North Dakota | $62,400 |
Ohio | $59,680 |
Oklahoma | $64,650 |
Oregon | $70,700 |
Pennsylvania | $63,170 |
South Carolina | $63,210 |
Tennessee | $63,600 |
Texas | $60,760 |
Utah | $61,660 |
Vermont | $77,590 |
Virginia | $61,160 |
Washington | $88,120 |
West Virginia | $63,740 |
Wisconsin | $54,720 |
Wyoming | $57,530 |
What Tools do Electrical Drafters Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Electrical Drafters may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Access
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Visio
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
- Bentley MicroStation
- PTC Creo Parametric
- Autodesk Revit
- Verilog
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- PTC Pro/INTRALINK
- PTC Pro/Pipe
- PTC Pro/CABLE
- Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Project Management
How do I Become an Electrical Drafter?
Individuals working as an Electrical Drafter have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become an Electrical Drafter?

Electrical Drafters Sector

Below are examples of industries where Electrical Drafters work:

You May Also Be Interested In…
Are you already one of the many Electrical Drafter in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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