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Drafting & Design Engineering Major

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Drafting & Design Engineering

144 Master's Degrees Annually
1 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#223 in Popularity (Master's)
$56,700 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many drafting and design engineering technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 144
Doctor’s Degree 1

What Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, design engineering tech majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Design Engineering Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • 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.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Design Engineering Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to design engineering tech:

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  • 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.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Design Engineering Tech Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a design engineering tech student include the following:

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  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Drafting & Design Engineering Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with design engineering tech:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Architectural Drafters 8.1% $54,920
Civil Drafters 8.1% $54,920
Drafters 8.2% $51,850
Electrical Drafters 6.9% $60,070
Electronic Drafters 6.9% $60,070
Mechanical Drafters 5.2% $55,920

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Drafting & Design Engineering?

144 Master's Degrees Annually
77% Percent Women
16% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 77% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of design engineering tech majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 9
Black or African American 4
Hispanic or Latino 6
White 32
International Students 54
Other Races/Ethnicities 39

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Design Engineering Tech, too. About 37.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • India
  • Vietnam
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Mexico

How Much Do Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

According to 2019-2020 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a master’s degree in design engineering tech have a median salary of $58,262 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $58,262 (25th percentile) and $58,262 (75th percentile).

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Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a design engineering tech degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Design Engineering Tech majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $54,240 to $59,010 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Drafting & Design Engineering Major  ( 54240 to 59010 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with design engineering tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for design engineering tech careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 5.7%
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) 20.3%
Some College Courses 9.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 36.7%
Bachelor’s Degree 23.1%
Master’s Degree 4.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.0%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.0%

Online Drafting & Design Engineering Programs

In 2020-2021, 630 schools offered a design engineering tech program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 431 14
Certificate (2-4 Years) 21 3
Associate’s Degree 538 19
Bachelor’s Degree 2 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 9 3
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Drafting & Design Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a design engineering tech grad is $56,700 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 42% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $336,000 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to design engineering tech.

Major Number of Grads
Engineering-Related Fields 4,838
Quality Control Technology 736
Industrial Production Technology 440
Engineering Technology (Other) 288
Construction Engineering Technology 264
General Engineering Technology 255
Computer Engineering Technology 179
Mechanical Engineering Technology 104
Nanotechnology 98
Energy Systems Technologies 95
Environmental Control Technology 89
Electromechanical Engineering Technology 43
Architectural Engineering Technology 39
Electronics Engineering Technology 39
Engineering-Related Technologies 15
Nuclear Engineering Technology 0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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