Career profile · 17-3011
Architectural and Civil Drafters
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.
What the work can involve
- Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
- Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
- Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
- Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Design
- Building and Construction
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Working with Computers
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
- Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians86 institutions →
- Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General291 institutions →
- CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician230 institutions →
- Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD127 institutions →
- Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD30 institutions →
- 3-D Modeling and Design Technology/Technician13 institutions →
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Contact with others most of the time | 50.1%08/2026 · sample 19 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 73.3%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 91.9%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 79.1%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 87.3%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 58.6%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Time Pressure | Once a month or more but not every week | 49.0%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Once a year or more but not every month | 48.6%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 93.8%08/2026 · sample 20 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Computer aided design CAD software: Alias Wavefront Design Studio, Autodesk 3d Studio Viz, Autodesk Architectural Desktop, Autodesk AutoCAD
- Data base user interface and query software: ARCOM Masterspec, Database software, Microsoft Access
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign
- Development environment software: C, Microsoft .NET Framework
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat, Document management system software
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: ERP software, SAP software
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software, ESRI ArcView, Geographic information system GIS systems
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe LiveMotion
- Map creation software: Bentley Systems InRoads Suite, Boundary survey software, Geomechanical design analysis GDA software, Topographic map software
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: Bill of materials software
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for architectural and civil drafters
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Associate's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $57,100 | $27.45 | 1,010 |
| Alaska | Not published | Not published | 220 |
| Arizona | $64,750 | $31.13 | 2,120 |
| Arkansas | $62,420 | $30.01 | 980 |
| California | $76,520 | $36.79 | 11,400 |
| Colorado | $76,370 | $36.72 | 3,570 |
| Connecticut | $76,290 | $36.68 | 810 |
| Delaware | $73,040 | $35.12 | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $97,880 | $47.06 | 370 |
| Florida | $62,640 | $30.12 | 7,530 |
| Georgia | $74,940 | $36.03 | 3,970 |
| Hawaii | $63,510 | $30.53 | 610 |
| Idaho | $61,840 | $29.73 | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $58,240 | $28.00 | 1,310 |
| Indiana | $60,000 | $28.85 | 2,240 |
| Iowa | $64,220 | $30.87 | 980 |
| Kansas | $62,220 | $29.91 | 630 |
| Kentucky | $60,120 | $28.91 | 870 |
| Louisiana | $61,010 | $29.33 | 1,040 |
| Maine | $66,200 | $31.83 | 440 |
| Maryland | $75,180 | $36.14 | 910 |
| Massachusetts | $76,990 | $37.02 | 2,660 |
| Michigan | $58,330 | $28.04 | 2,100 |
| Minnesota | $70,680 | $33.98 | 1,930 |
| Mississippi | $59,920 | $28.81 | 330 |
| Missouri | $61,940 | $29.78 | 2,270 |
| Montana | $65,750 | $31.61 | 600 |
| Nebraska | $61,550 | $29.59 | 850 |
| Nevada | $67,000 | $32.21 | 1,100 |
| New Hampshire | $65,300 | $31.39 | 400 |
| New Jersey | $62,960 | $30.27 | 2,280 |
| New Mexico | $50,230 | $24.15 | 690 |
| New York | $76,260 | $36.66 | 7,380 |
| North Carolina | $62,750 | $30.17 | 2,680 |
| North Dakota | $64,720 | $31.12 | 380 |
| Ohio | $61,450 | $29.54 | 2,860 |
| Oklahoma | $62,140 | $29.88 | 1,260 |
| Oregon | $74,000 | $35.58 | 1,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $64,800 | $31.15 | 5,370 |
| Rhode Island | $71,700 | $34.47 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $64,680 | $31.09 | 1,170 |
| South Dakota | $52,470 | $25.23 | 460 |
| Tennessee | $69,220 | $33.28 | 1,310 |
| Texas | $63,320 | $30.44 | 11,710 |
| Utah | $64,290 | $30.91 | 1,820 |
| Vermont | $61,000 | $29.33 | 230 |
| Virginia | $63,450 | $30.51 | 2,600 |
| Washington | $73,000 | $35.10 | 2,530 |
| West Virginia | $65,640 | $31.56 | 330 |
| Wisconsin | $62,930 | $30.25 | 2,200 |
| Wyoming | $63,730 | $30.64 | 200 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 379 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians→
- Drafters, All Other→
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters→
- Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other→
- Mechanical Drafters→
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists→
- Photonics Technicians→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 17-3011.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.