How To Become A Design Drafter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a design drafter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A design drafter is responsible for creating a technical draft of the architects' and engineers' designs using various software applications. You will analyze schematics and blueprints, compare the specifications to the draft, ensure all the features' accuracy, review structural details, and perform adjustments based on the building techniques standards. You must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines as well as manufacturing processes to determine dimensions and minimize material costs without compromising the construction quality. You are responsible for creating a 3D model of products in modeling software, and you will create these models from scratch and also update the existing models.

This job requires an associate degree in drafting from technical school, the ability to solve problems, stay organized, and juggle multiple projects at once. Solid mathematical skills, great time management skills, and the ability to work on your own are also crucial. Your yearly salary is an average of $52,823.

ScoreDesign DrafterUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,021

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.3

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%

Asian 5.73%

Black or African American 3.03%

Hispanic or Latino 13.06%

Unknown 4.14%

White 73.89%

Gender

female 19.92%

male 80.08%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.2

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a design drafter

Explore design drafter education requirements

Most common design drafter degrees

Associate

56.1 %

Bachelor's

30.4 %

High School Diploma

4.4 %

Start to develop specific design drafter skills

Skills	Percentages
Layout Drawings	10.36%
Auto CAD	6.07%
Engineering Drawings	5.14%
Aided Design	4.85%
Assembly Drawings	4.60%

Complete relevant design drafter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New design drafters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a design drafter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real design drafter resumes.

Gain additional design drafter certifications

Design drafter certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific design drafter certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for design drafters include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Mechanical Certified Drafter (CD).

More About Certifications

Research design drafter duties and responsibilities

Manage the ECN process by assigning the highest priority requests through coordination between engineering staff and drafting personnel.
Use Windchill for file management.
Develop pattern REVIT families for retail fixture manufactures.
Assist with implementation of Revit as main drawing application.

Prepare your design drafter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your design drafter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a design drafter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable design drafter resume templates

Build a professional design drafter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your design drafter resume.