Architectural and Civil Drafters

At a Glance

Median Salary
$70,243

Local Jobs
933

Entry-Level Education
Bachelor's Degree

Occupation Profile

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.

By The Numbers

Median Annual Earnings

$70,243

Median Annual Earnings are the midpoint earned by 50 percent of workers who are the lowest paid and 50 percent of workers who are the highest paid in a particular occupation

Local Jobs

933

Jobs are any position in which a worker provides labor in exchange for monetary compensation (note: one individual may hold multiple jobs)

Entry-Level Education

Bachelor's Degree

This is the most common education level requested in entry-level job listings.

Daily Tasks

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.
Finish and duplicate drawings and documentation packages according to required mediums and specifications for reproduction, using blueprinting, photography, or other duplicating methods.
Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
Correlate, interpret, and modify data obtained from topographical surveys, well logs, and geophysical prospecting reports.
Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to lists of materials.
Determine procedures and instructions to be followed, according to design specifications and quantity of required materials.
Supervise or conduct field surveys, inspections, or technical investigations to obtain data required to revise construction drawings.
Explain drawings to production or construction teams and provide adjustments as necessary.
Obtain and assemble data to complete architectural designs, visiting job sites to compile measurements as necessary.
Determine quality, cost, strength, and quantity of required materials, and enter figures on materials lists.
Locate and identify symbols on topographical surveys to denote geological and geophysical formations or oil field installations.
Create freehand drawings and lettering to accompany drawings.
Calculate excavation tonnage and prepare graphs and fill-hauling diagrams for use in earth-moving operations.
Prepare colored drawings of landscape and interior designs for presentation to client.
Calculate weights, volumes, and stress factors and their implications for technical aspects of designs.

Occupational Skills

What skills are necessary for Architectural and Civil Drafters?

Hard Skills

3D Modeling
AutoCAD
AutoCAD Civil 3D
CAD Standards
Civil Design
Civil Engineering
Computer-Aided Design
Construction
Grading (Landscape)
Wastewater

Soft Skills

Communications
Coordinating
Detail Oriented
Mathematics
Organizational Skills
Planning
Self-Motivation
Strong Work Ethic
Willingness To Learn
Writing

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry- or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education. They are essential in many industries and occupations.

Education Programs

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