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Drafting & Design Engineering

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 15.1301- 15.1399.

Types of Degrees Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Drafting & Design Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,648
Associate’s Degree	2,713
Bachelor’s Degree	578
Master’s Degree	4,477
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Need to Know

Programs in Drafting & Design Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Drafting & Design Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Drafting & Design Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Design — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Drafting & Design Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Drafting & Design Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Visualization — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Drafting & Design Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.7 / 7
Processing Information	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Drafting & Design Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Bentley MicroStation	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
NavisWorks Jetstream	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
PTC Creo Parametric	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Drafting & Design Engineering graduates include:

• CAD Draftsman (Computer-Aided Design Draftsman)
• CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Drafter)
• Drafter
• AutoCAD Technician
• Detailer
• Computer-Aided Design Designer (CAD Designer)
• Designer
• CAD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design Drafter)
• AutoCAD Drafter
• Design Drafter
• Drafting Technician
• CAD Designer (Computer Aided Design Designer)
• Piping Designer
• Architectural Drafter
• CAD Draughter (Computer Aided Design Draughter)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Drafting & Design Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	40.1%
Bachelor’s degree	31.4%
Postsecondary certificate	15.3%
Some college courses	7.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.4%
Master’s degree	2.6%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Drafting & Design Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 69.3% of Drafting & Design Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,975	30.7%
Men	6,727	69.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Drafting & Design Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,367	55.3%
Asian	436	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	2,234	23.0%
Black or African American	545	5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	75	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	20	0.2%
Two or More Races	299	3.1%
Race Unknown	358	3.7%
International Students	368	3.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Drafting & Design Engineering Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Drafting & Design Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,976
4 years	$45,788
5 years	$51,867

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,867 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Drafting & Design Engineering Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Drafting & Design Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	27	27
Bachelor’s	4	1
Master’s	4	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Drafting & Design Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Drafting & Design Engineering graduates earn a median of $45,788 four years after completion — roughly 20% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering Technologies	91,975
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	11,920
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	10,798
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,196
Engineering-Related Fields	8,633
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	5,996
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	5,089
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,247
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.