Career profile · 17-3012
Electrical and Electronics Drafters
Prepare wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, and layout drawings used for the manufacture, installation, or repair of electrical equipment.
What the work can involve
- Draft detail and assembly drawings of design components, circuitry or printed circuit boards, using computer-assisted equipment or standard drafting techniques and devices.
- Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications, or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
- Assemble documentation packages and produce drawing sets to be checked by an engineer or an architect.
- Review completed construction drawings and cost estimates for accuracy and conformity to standards and regulations.
- Consult with engineers to discuss or interpret design concepts, or determine requirements of detailed working drawings.
- Confer with engineering staff and other personnel to resolve problems.
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
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
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
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- English Language
- Mathematics
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
- Getting Information
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
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.
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician385 institutions →
- Integrated Circuit Design Technology/Technician3 institutions →
- Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician140 institutions →
- Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General291 institutions →
- CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician230 institutions →
- Electrical/Electronics Drafting and Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD14 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 | Constant contact with others | 47.5%08/2022 · sample 71 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 57.6%08/2022 · sample 69 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 97.2%08/2022 · sample 70 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 59.1%08/2022 · sample 70 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Continually or almost continually | 53.2%08/2022 · sample 71 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 66.7%08/2022 · sample 70 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Never | 35.2%08/2022 · sample 71 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 42.5%08/2022 · sample 71 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 43.1%08/2022 · sample 70 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 68.3%08/2022 · sample 70 |
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.
- Analytical or scientific software: Cadence PSpice, MathWorks Simulink, SKM Systems Analysis Power Tools, Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE
- Application server software: Linux Virtual Server
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Navisworks, Autodesk Revit, Aveva Group Plant Design Management System PDMS
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: 1CadCam Unigraphics
- Data base user interface and query software: Design specification database software, Microsoft Access, PCI Express PCIe, PEDYN P2000
- Development environment software: C, SystemVerilog, Tool command language Tcl, Verilog
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint, PTC Windchill
- Electronic mail software: IBM Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Bowen & Groves M1 ERP, Epicor Vantage ERP, Exact Software Macola ERP, Made2Manage Systems M2M ERP
- Geographic information system: Geographic information system GIS systems
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator, Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- Industrial control software: Programmable logic controller PLC software, Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA 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 electrical and electronics 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 45 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $51,650 | $24.83 | 300 |
| Alaska | Not published | Not published | 80 |
| Arizona | $73,080 | $35.14 | 570 |
| California | $78,310 | $37.65 | 2,730 |
| Colorado | $79,300 | $38.13 | 750 |
| Connecticut | $66,980 | $32.20 | 430 |
| Delaware | $63,460 | $30.51 | 60 |
| Florida | $73,010 | $35.10 | 660 |
| Georgia | $80,620 | $38.76 | 470 |
| Hawaii | $68,050 | $32.71 | 80 |
| Idaho | $81,590 | $39.23 | 100 |
| Illinois | $68,310 | $32.84 | 150 |
| Indiana | $80,100 | $38.51 | 360 |
| Iowa | $74,470 | $35.81 | 180 |
| Kansas | $60,730 | $29.20 | 210 |
| Kentucky | $79,050 | $38.01 | 80 |
| Louisiana | $62,550 | $30.07 | 150 |
| Maine | $75,100 | $36.10 | 110 |
| Maryland | $75,680 | $36.38 | 380 |
| Massachusetts | $87,290 | $41.97 | 470 |
| Michigan | $73,860 | $35.51 | 380 |
| Minnesota | $77,330 | $37.18 | 250 |
| Mississippi | $58,780 | $28.26 | 110 |
| Missouri | $76,690 | $36.87 | 420 |
| Nebraska | $59,570 | $28.64 | 190 |
| Nevada | $71,310 | $34.28 | 250 |
| New Hampshire | $102,070 | $49.07 | 220 |
| New Jersey | $77,600 | $37.31 | 240 |
| New Mexico | $101,330 | $48.72 | 390 |
| New York | $77,830 | $37.42 | 850 |
| North Carolina | $81,960 | $39.40 | 430 |
| North Dakota | Not published | Not published | 90 |
| Ohio | $80,840 | $38.87 | 510 |
| Oklahoma | $69,520 | $33.42 | 290 |
| Oregon | $78,170 | $37.58 | 330 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,720 | $34.96 | 500 |
| South Carolina | $76,440 | $36.75 | 290 |
| South Dakota | $50,840 | $24.44 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $77,180 | $37.11 | 340 |
| Texas | $80,620 | $38.76 | 1,840 |
| Utah | $79,360 | $38.15 | 290 |
| Virginia | $64,650 | $31.08 | 280 |
| Washington | $72,250 | $34.74 | 390 |
| Wisconsin | $75,650 | $36.37 | 470 |
| Wyoming | $64,690 | $31.10 | 40 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 101 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
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians→
- Architectural and Civil Drafters→
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians→
- Drafters, All Other→
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians→
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay→
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians→
- Mechanical Drafters→
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: 17-3012.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.