JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$66,150
Employment, U.S.103,700
Median hourly wage$31.80
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$46,260$55,650$66,150$80,870$99,710
By state (51)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama1,010$57,1000.71
Alaska220Not available1.02
Arizona2,120$64,7500.98
Arkansas980$62,4201.12
California11,400$76,5200.94
Colorado3,570$76,3701.86
Connecticut810$76,2900.72
Delaware290$73,0400.90
District of Columbia370$97,8800.80
Florida7,530$62,6401.14
Georgia3,970$74,9401.22
Hawaii610$63,5101.46
Idaho1,010$61,8401.77
Illinois1,310$58,2400.32
Indiana2,240$60,0001.05
Iowa980$64,2200.95
Kansas630$62,2200.65
Kentucky870$60,1200.65
Louisiana1,040$61,0100.80
Maine440$66,2001.02
Maryland910$75,1800.49
Massachusetts2,660$76,9901.10
Michigan2,100$58,3300.72
Minnesota1,930$70,6800.98
Mississippi330$59,9200.42
Missouri2,270$61,9401.16
Montana600$65,7501.75
Nebraska850$61,5501.24
Nevada1,100$67,0001.06
New Hampshire400$65,3000.88
New Jersey2,280$62,9600.80
New Mexico690$50,2301.18
New York7,380$76,2601.14
North Carolina2,680$62,7500.81
North Dakota380$64,7201.34
Ohio2,860$61,4500.77
Oklahoma1,260$62,1401.11
Oregon1,490$74,0001.13
Pennsylvania5,370$64,8001.33
Rhode Island240$71,7000.71
South Carolina1,170$64,6800.76
South Dakota460$52,4701.52
Tennessee1,310$69,2200.60
Texas11,710$63,3201.25
Utah1,820$64,2901.58
Vermont230$61,0001.12
Virginia2,600$63,4500.95
Washington2,530$73,0001.07
West Virginia330$65,6400.70
Wisconsin2,200$62,9301.12
Wyoming200$63,7301.06

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Electrical and Electronics Drafters30.961
2Architects, Except Landscape and Naval50.959
3Architectural and Engineering Managers50.955
4Landscape Architects40.955
5Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians30.954
6Transportation Engineers40.954
7Civil Engineers40.952
8Solar Energy Systems Engineers40.944
9Water/Wastewater Engineers40.943
10Wind Energy Development Managers40.942

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Architectural and Civil Drafters, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Construction and Building InspectorsQuality Control Analysis1.370.927
Mechanical DraftersOperations Analysis3.120.924

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Architectural and Civil Drafters, excluding software Architectural and Civil Drafters already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
SKM Systems Analysis Power Tools4 of 2046.2x
Finite element method FEM software5 of 2021.0x
Python11 of 203.8x
Verilog6 of 2011.5x
National Instruments LabVIEW8 of 206.0x
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software8 of 206.0x
The MathWorks MATLAB10 of 204.2x
HEC-RAS4 of 2020.5x
C++9 of 203.8x
Bentley InRoads Suite3 of 2046.2x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.75 3.88
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 3.62 3.75
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.50 3.62
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.38 3.38
WritingEssential skill 3.25 3.50
MonitoringEssential skill 3.25 3.25
SpeakingEssential skill 3.25 3.25
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.25 3.12
Active LearningEssential skill 3.12 3.25
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.12 3.25
MathematicsEssential skill 3.12 3.12
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.12 3.12
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
PersuasionTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 2.88
InstructingTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.88 2.62
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.75 2.75
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.62 3.00
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.25 2.12
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.25 1.88
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 2.12not rated
ScienceEssential skill 2.12not rated
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.12 1.75
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.00 1.38
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.88not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.88 1.25
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.75 1.25
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.12not rated
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Design 4.86 6.44
Building and Construction 4.19 4.65
Engineering and Technology 4.17 5.40
Computers and Electronics 3.74 4.77
English Language 3.62 4.38
Mathematics 3.35 4.04
Customer and Personal Service 3.24 3.41
Public Safety and Security 2.98 3.27
Administration and Management 2.89 3.22
Law and Government 2.86 2.93
Administrative 2.58 2.77
Production and Processing 2.57 2.39
Geography 2.55 3.07
Fine Arts 2.42 2.58
Sales and Marketing 2.40 2.01
Mechanical 2.35 2.64
Transportation 2.26 2.35
Physics 2.25 2.19
Telecommunications 2.16 1.84
Economics and Accounting 2.14 1.60
Education and Training 2.13 2.11
History and Archeology 2.11 1.82
Communications and Media 1.99 1.73
Personnel and Human Resources 1.94 1.59
Psychology 1.87 1.88
Chemistry 1.69 1.32
Sociology and Anthropology 1.60 1.38
Foreign Language 1.56 0.69
Biology 1.45 0.91
Philosophy and Theology 1.29 0.80
Food Production 1.13not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.12not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.10not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Comprehension 3.88 3.88
Written Comprehension 3.88 3.75
Near Vision 3.75 3.75
Oral Expression 3.75 3.62
Information Ordering 3.62 3.75
Visualization 3.62 3.75
Written Expression 3.62 3.75
Problem Sensitivity 3.62 3.50
Deductive Reasoning 3.50 3.88
Inductive Reasoning 3.38 3.50
Category Flexibility 3.25 3.50
Fluency of Ideas 3.25 3.50
Mathematical Reasoning 3.25 3.25
Speech Recognition 3.25 3.25
Originality 3.12 3.25
Speech Clarity 3.12 3.25
Number Facility 3.00 3.12
Selective Attention 3.00 3.00
Far Vision 2.88 3.12
Flexibility of Closure 2.88 3.12
Visual Color Discrimination 2.75 2.88
Perceptual Speed 2.75 2.75
Speed of Closure 2.50 2.62
Time Sharing 2.25 2.50
Memorization 2.25 2.25
Manual Dexterity 2.25 1.62
Arm-Hand Steadiness 2.25 1.50
Finger Dexterity 2.25 1.50
Control Precision 2.12 1.38
Auditory Attention 1.88 1.75
Depth Perception 1.88 1.38
Trunk Strength 1.88 1.25
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.88 1.00
Hearing Sensitivity 1.75 1.38
Multilimb Coordination 1.50 0.62
Dynamic Strength 1.25not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.25not rated
Rate Control 1.12not rated
Reaction Time 1.12not rated
Response Orientation 1.12not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.12not rated
Stamina 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Extent Flexibility 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 81
  • Adobe LiveMotion
  • Alias Wavefront Design Studio
  • Animation software
  • AutoDesSys form Z
  • Autodesk 3d Studio Viz
  • Autodesk 3ds Max
  • Autodesk Architectural Desktop
  • Autodesk Inventor
  • Autodesk Land Desktop
  • Autodesk Revit Architecture
  • Autodesk Softdesk
  • Bentley GeoPak Bridge
  • Bentley Systems InRoads Suite
  • Bentley WaterCAD
  • Bill of materials software
  • Boundary survey software
  • Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
  • Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
  • Computer assisted design software
  • Corel Paint Shop Pro
  • Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Database software
  • Digitizing and photogrammetric software
  • Document management system software
  • ENERCALC FastFrame
  • ERP software
  • ESRI ArcView
  • Geographic information system GIS systems
  • Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
  • Graphic presentation software
  • Graphisoft ArchiCAD
  • Intergraph Image Analyst
  • Landscape modeling software
  • Logitech 3D Pro
  • Microsoft Paint
  • Motion graphics software
  • NavisWorks Jetstream
  • Non uniform rational b-splines NURBS software
  • OpenRoads Designer
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • Piping and instrumentation design PID software
  • Scanning software
  • Softimage Extreme
  • Specification software
  • SpecsInTact
  • Sun Microsystems Cobalt
  • Tekla software
  • Three-dimensional modeling software
  • Topographic map software
  • UGS Solid Edge
  • VectorWorks ARCHITECT

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO3503.13$63,930
Bozeman, MT1503.03$63,880
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR5002.73$63,230
Billings, MT1302.15$65,820
Boise City, ID5602.13$63,160
Fargo, ND-MN2102.09$65,030
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL3302.01$62,780
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO2,1201.98$79,860
Lancaster, PA3301.97$63,570
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA1601.94$71,860

More metros, other thresholds