How to hire an autocad drafter

How to hire an autocad drafter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step autocad drafter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an autocad drafter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new autocad drafter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an autocad drafter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the autocad drafter you need to hire. Certain autocad drafter roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect autocad drafter also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents autocad drafter salaries for various positions.

   Type of Autocad Drafter	Description	Hourly rate
   Autocad Drafter	Drafters use software to convert the designs of engineers and architects into technical drawings. Most workers specialize in architectural, civil, electrical, or mechanical drafting and use technical drawings to help design everything from microchips to skyscrapers.	$14-26
   Computer Aided Design Designer	A computer-aided design (CAD) designer is responsible for creating plan outlines and project designs for a specific business need. A CAD designer utilizes various technologies and software applications to generate graphic illustrations... Show more	$19-42
   Mechanical Designer	A mechanical designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality... Show more	$22-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Construction Drawings
   • Layout Drawings
   • Revit
   • Shop Drawings
   • GIS
   • Auto CAD
   • Solidworks
   • Fabrication Drawings
   • Engineering Drawings
   • Aided Design
   • GPS
   • Design Drawings
   • As-Built Drawings
   • Windows

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Update mechanical drawings per engineering change orders using AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
   • Create as-built drawings for security systems using AutoCAD
   • Produce complete architectural drawings for several residential projects, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing construction documents.
   • Create and maintain BOM for each job design
   • Used GIS mapping coordinates systems to ensure point accuracy.
   • Create designs consisting of fire alarm systems using AutoCAD MEP.

   More autocad drafter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your autocad drafter job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An autocad drafter can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, autocad drafters' average salary in alabama is 34% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level autocad drafters 44% less than senior-level autocad drafters.
   • Certifications. An autocad drafter with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an autocad drafter's salary.

   Average autocad drafter salary

   $41,984yearly

   $20.18 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level autocad drafter salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

   Average autocad drafter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$46,417	$22
   2	Texas	$46,076	$22
   3	New York	$45,843	$22
   4	Illinois	$45,442	$22
   5	California	$45,004	$22
   6	Wisconsin	$44,651	$21
   7	Tennessee	$42,561	$20
   8	Florida	$41,712	$20
   9	Colorado	$41,074	$20
   10	South Carolina	$40,768	$20
   11	Virginia	$40,732	$20
   12	North Carolina	$40,663	$20
   13	Pennsylvania	$40,405	$19
   14	Arizona	$40,290	$19
   15	Missouri	$40,184	$19
   16	Ohio	$38,535	$19
   17	Georgia	$38,241	$18
   18	Oregon	$38,038	$18
   19	Kansas	$37,340	$18
   20	Oklahoma	$37,194	$18

   Average autocad drafter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	GPAC	$50,717	$24.38
   2	Jacobs Engineering Group	$49,537	$23.82
   3	Apple	$48,856	$23.49
   4	Carrier	$48,178	$23.16
   5	CMC Motocross	$46,718	$22.46
   6	CyberCoders	$46,588	$22.40
   7	Black & Veatch	$46,074	$22.15	1
   8	Cash-Wa Distributing	$45,088	$21.68
   9	EFCO	$44,562	$21.42
   10	Cenergy International Services	$44,521	$21.40
   11	Olsson	$44,202	$21.25	6
   12	Volt Information Sciences	$44,087	$21.20
   13	ManpowerGroup	$42,804	$20.58
   14	Morrow	$42,236	$20.31
   15	CSW Industrials	$42,173	$20.28
   16	Universal Engineering Sciences	$42,169	$20.27	3
   17	Jacobs Enterprises	$42,165	$20.27
   18	BOWA	$42,137	$20.26
   19	Parsons	$42,132	$20.26	1
   20	APTIM	$42,121	$20.25

4. Writing an autocad drafter job description

   An autocad drafter job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an autocad drafter job description:

   Autocad drafter job description example

   Progressive Design, Inc. is currently seeking an Electrical Designer. This is a full time/direct hire position that will sit onsite at a large client's industrial facility that is located in Richmond, VA.
   
   We hire the best in Engineering & Design! Hands-on experience, years of industry knowledge, continuous training, and commitment to excellence are some of the attributes that make Progressive Design's professional staff the best at what we do. The company has experienced consistent growth and on-going success from hiring the right people that focus on client success, embrace an entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrate the highest integrity.
   
   Progressive Design, Inc. (PDI) is a private, family-owned, Heavy Industrial Engineering & Design Consulting firm that provides valued engineering services. Founded in 1986 by Robert Ranson, Progressive Design has grown to become one of the largest privately held multi-discipline engineering firms in central Virginia. In 2021, Robert's daughter and Progressive Design President, Erica Burgess, acquired ownership and established Progressive Design as a Woman-Owned business.
   
   Our team's knowledge and hands-on experience can take projects from concept to startup. As a full service, multi-discipline engineering consulting firm, we support manufacturing facilities and clients in many key areas including: EPC/Turnkey projects, project feasibility studies, process improvement analysis, new process design, process upgrades, air pollution abatement technology and integration, environmental compliance, product design, industrial capital projects, and detailed project/construction estimates.
   
   We serve Fortune 500 companies in industries such as chemical, tobacco, power, films, fibers, plastics, paper, pharmaceuticals, metals, food and beverage, and discrete manufacturing.
   General Responsibilities:
   · Responsible for the design, verification and modification to manufacturing facility electrical drawings (power distribution, panel layouts, and equipment electrical schematics).
   · Responsible for checking incoming vendor documentation.
   · Responsible for inputting vendor documentation into facility database per required CAD standards.
   · Assist facility personnel with requests for researching, plotting and creation of new drawings as needed.
   
   Minimum Requirements/Qualifications:
   · Working knowledge of AutoCAD 2019
   · Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook.
   · Excellent organizational, design and drafting skills.
   · Ability to easily move about an industrial facility.
   · Ability to read, understand, and review engineering drawings.
   · Strong communication and organizational skills
   · Strong ethics and corporate loyalty
   · Must be results oriented
   · Must be a team player
   · Must possess uncompromised commitment to quality
   · Must have a valid Driver's license, & pass a Background & Drug test
   
   Benefits:
   We offer a fast paced, exciting work environment with a competitive compensation package including: Health Care Benefits, Paid Time Off, 401K and tuition reimbursement.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right autocad drafter for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your autocad drafter job on Zippia to find and attract quality autocad drafter candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit autocad drafters, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new autocad drafter

   Once you've found the autocad drafter candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new autocad drafter. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an autocad drafter?