Architecture and Engineering
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.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Architectural and Civil Drafters
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Architectural and Civil Drafters. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$66,150USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$31.80USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $46,260 | $22.24 |
| 25th | $55,650 | $26.76 |
| 50th · Median | $66,150 | $31.80 |
| 75th | $80,870 | $38.88 |
| 90th | $99,710 | $47.94 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Architectural CAD Drafter (Architectural Computer-Aided Design Drafter)Architectural CAD Technician (Architectural Computer-Aided Design Technician)Architectural DesignerArchitectural DrafterArchitectural DraftsmanArchitectural Technician (Architectural Tech)Architectural TechnologistArchitecture DesignerArchitecture DrafterArchitecture Technician (Architecture Tech)AutoCAD Designer (Auto Computer-Aided Design Designer)AutoCAD Drafter (Auto Computer-Aided Design Drafter)
Expand more title examples (41)
BIM Designer (Building Information Modeling Designer)BIM Modeler (Building Information Modeling Modeler)BIM Specialist (Building Information Modeling Specialist)Building DrafterCAD Designer (Computer Aided Design Designer)CAD Designer (Computer-Aided Design Designer)CAD Drafter (Computer Aided Design Drafter)CAD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design Drafter)CAD Draftsman (Computer-Aided Design Draftsman)CAD Draughter (Computer Aided Design Draughter)CAD Tech (Computer-Aided Design Technician)CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Drafter)CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Drafter)Civil CAD Designer (Civil Computer-Aided Design Designer)Civil CADD Designer (Civil Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Designer)Civil CADD Technician (Civil Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Technician)Civil DesignerCivil DrafterCivil Engineering DesignerCivil Structural DesignerCommercial DrafterComputer Aided DrafterComputer-Aided DrafterDesign DraftsmanDirectional Survey DrafterDrafting Technician (Drafting Tech)DraftsmanDraftspersonGas DrafterGeological DrafterGeophysical DrafterHeating and Ventilating DrafterHeating and Ventilation DrafterLandscape DrafterMarine DrafterOil DrafterPlumbing DrafterSteel DetailerStructural DrafterStructural DraftsmanTruss Designer
Typical tasks
- 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.
Expand more tasks (20)
- Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
- Represent architect or engineer on construction site, ensuring builder compliance with design specifications and advising on design corrections, under supervision.
- Review rough sketches, drawings, specifications, and other engineering data to ensure that they conform to design concepts.
- Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
- 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.
- Supervise or conduct field surveys, inspections, or technical investigations to obtain data required to revise construction drawings.
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
- Correlate, interpret, and modify data obtained from topographical surveys, well logs, and geophysical prospecting reports.
- Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
- Prepare cost estimates, contracts, bidding documents, and technical reports for specific projects under an architect's or engineer's supervision.
- Determine procedures and instructions to be followed, according to design specifications and quantity of required materials.
- Determine quality, cost, strength, and quantity of required materials, and enter figures on materials lists.
- Create freehand drawings and lettering to accompany drawings.
- Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to lists of materials.
- Calculate weights, volumes, and stress factors and their implications for technical aspects of designs.
- Locate and identify symbols on topographical surveys to denote geological and geophysical formations or oil field installations.
- Reproduce drawings on copy machines or trace copies of plans and drawings, using transparent paper or cloth, ink, pencil, and standard drafting instruments.
- Prepare colored drawings of landscape and interior designs for presentation to client.
- Calculate heat loss and gain of buildings and structures to determine required equipment specifications, following standard procedures.
Skills used in this work
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Expand more skills (29)
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
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