What Does a CAD Drafter Do?
Red pen markups on an engineer's sketch are the raw material for a CAD (computer-aided design) drafter, who turns them into clean, dimensioned drawings ready for review. Engineering firms, contractors' offices and facilities departments all employ drafters to produce site plans, floor plans and utility layouts in AutoCAD or MicroStation. Some drafters handle as-built drawings, updating them after renovations so the records match the building.
Also known as: CAD Specialist, Computer-Aided Design Specialist
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Architectural Designer, Architectural Drafter, Architectural Draftsman, Civil Drafter, Computer-Aided Design Designer (CAD Designer), Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Drafter (CADD Drafter), Computer-Aided Drafting Designer (CAD Designer), Drafting Technician.
CAD Drafter Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a CAD drafter include:
- Turn engineers' sketches and redlined markups into finished drawings in AutoCAD or MicroStation.
- Draft site plans, floor plans and utility layouts to the office's layer and sheet standards.
- Update as-built drawings after renovations so facilities records match the building.
- Check dimensions, notes and symbols against markups before drawings go out for review.
- Plot, scan and file drawing sets, keeping revision numbers and dates in order.
- Convert old paper drawings into CAD files by scanning and tracing them.
- Draw grading, road and pipe profiles from survey data for civil projects.
- Maintain block libraries, templates and title blocks for the drafting team.
- Measure rooms and equipment on site when existing drawings are missing or wrong.
- Coordinate drawing changes with engineers and contractors through each project phase.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a CAD drafter, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- AutoCAD and MicroStation
- Drafting standards, layers and sheet setup
- Reading engineering and survey drawings
- Accurate math and measurement
- Revit basics for building projects
- Autodesk Certified Professional credential, where employers ask for it
- File and revision control
- Focus through long, detailed drawing sessions
Education and Training
Two years of drafting study, ending in the associate degree that BLS reports as typical for architectural and civil drafters, is the standard preparation. Community college and technical school courses teach AutoCAD, drawing standards and the construction basics a first CAD job calls for. Autodesk certification is optional, though it gives a new drafter one more thing to show an employer.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $55,650 - $80,870 per year, with a median of $66,150.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Architectural and Civil Drafters.
BLS projects employment of architectural and civil drafters to grow about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035. Expect roughly 9,100 openings a year across the group. Drafters who also model in Revit or civil design software tend to get the better jobs, since software now handles much of the routine line drawing that once filled a drafter's day.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Architectural and civil drafters.
CAD Drafter Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $46,260 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $55,650 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $66,150 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $80,870 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $99,710 |
Highest-Paying States for CAD Drafters
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are District of Columbia ($97,880), Massachusetts ($76,990), California ($76,520), Colorado ($76,370), Connecticut ($76,290). Pay is lowest in Alabama ($57,100), South Dakota ($52,470), New Mexico ($50,230).
Median pay in all 50 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,100 |
| Arizona | $64,750 |
| Arkansas | $62,420 |
| California | $76,520 |
| Colorado | $76,370 |
| Connecticut | $76,290 |
| Delaware | $73,040 |
| District of Columbia | $97,880 |
| Florida | $62,640 |
| Georgia | $74,940 |
| Hawaii | $63,510 |
| Idaho | $61,840 |
| Illinois | $58,240 |
| Indiana | $60,000 |
| Iowa | $64,220 |
| Kansas | $62,220 |
| Kentucky | $60,120 |
| Louisiana | $61,010 |
| Maine | $66,200 |
| Maryland | $75,180 |
| Massachusetts | $76,990 |
| Michigan | $58,330 |
| Minnesota | $70,680 |
| Mississippi | $59,920 |
| Missouri | $61,940 |
| Montana | $65,750 |
| Nebraska | $61,550 |
| Nevada | $67,000 |
| New Hampshire | $65,300 |
| New Jersey | $62,960 |
| New Mexico | $50,230 |
| New York | $76,260 |
| North Carolina | $62,750 |
| North Dakota | $64,720 |
| Ohio | $61,450 |
| Oklahoma | $62,140 |
| Oregon | $74,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,800 |
| Rhode Island | $71,700 |
| South Carolina | $64,680 |
| South Dakota | $52,470 |
| Tennessee | $69,220 |
| Texas | $63,320 |
| Utah | $64,290 |
| Vermont | $61,000 |
| Virginia | $63,450 |
| Washington | $73,000 |
| West Virginia | $65,640 |
| Wisconsin | $62,930 |
| Wyoming | $63,730 |
Tools and Software CAD Drafters Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Systems Analysis, Writing, Critical Thinking, Active Learning.
Knowledge areas used most: Design, Building and Construction, Engineering and Technology, English Language, Computers and Electronics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 17-3011.00 (Architectural and Civil Drafters). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.