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How to hire a design drafter

Design drafter hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring design drafters in the United States:

  • There are a total of 95,150 design drafters in the US, and there are currently 39,125 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a design drafter is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per design drafter on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Atlanta, GA, has the highest demand for design drafters, with 7 job openings.

How to hire a design drafter, step by step

To hire a design drafter, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a design drafter:

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

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

What does a design drafter do?

A design drafter is responsible for creating a technical draft of the architects' and engineers' designs using various software applications. Design drafters analyze schematics and blueprints and compare the specifications to the draft, ensuring all the features' accuracy. They review structural details and perform adjustments based on the building techniques standards. A design drafter must have excellent knowledge with the engineering disciplines, as well as manufacturing processes to determine dimensions and minimize material costs without compromising the construction quality.

Learn more about the specifics of what a design drafter does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your design drafter job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a design drafter for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    Hiring the perfect design 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 design drafter salaries for various positions.

    Type of Design DrafterDescriptionHourly rate
    Design DrafterDrafters 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.$17-32
    DraftsmanDraftsmen are professionals with expertise in computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) drawings. They perform similar tasks as architects, such as preparing CADD drawings... Show more$14-28
    Mechanical Design EngineerA mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals... Show more$28-46
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Layout Drawings
    • Auto CAD
    • Engineering Drawings
    • Aided Design
    • Assembly Drawings
    • Revit
    • GD
    • Electrical Schematics
    • R
    • BOM
    • Shop Drawings
    • Design Software
    • Construction Drawings
    • HVAC
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Draft and design mechanical and electrical windows for aircraft and yachts.
    • Work on plant location to sketch isometric drawings used for pressure analysis.
    More design drafter duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in the design drafter job description is a good way to get more applicants. A design drafter salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

    For example, the average salary for a design drafter in Washington may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level design drafter. Additionally, a design drafter with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

    Average design drafter salary

    $50,021yearly

    $24.05 hourly rate

    Entry-level design drafter salary
    $37,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 21, 2025

    Average design drafter salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$62,330$30
    2New York$57,144$27
    3Arkansas$55,869$27
    4Texas$55,857$27
    5Massachusetts$55,082$26
    6Oklahoma$52,264$25
    7Minnesota$51,873$25
    8Colorado$51,833$25
    9Louisiana$50,231$24
    10South Carolina$50,038$24
    11Illinois$49,192$24
    12Arizona$48,967$24
    13Oregon$48,282$23
    14Florida$47,413$23
    15North Carolina$46,459$22
    16Wisconsin$46,159$22
    17Wyoming$45,701$22
    18Georgia$45,106$22
    19Washington$44,967$22
    20Maryland$44,739$22

    Average design drafter salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1Apple$81,088$38.98318
    2Amphenol$66,308$31.887
    3Jefferson Lab$64,319$30.92
    4Los Alamos National Laboratory$64,082$30.816
    5Astronics$63,699$30.62
    6Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory$63,663$30.611
    7AMETEK$58,994$28.368
    8Lam Research$58,426$28.091
    9Steffian Bradley Architects$57,979$27.87
    10Moog$57,885$27.8334
    11Hubbell$56,835$27.3212
    12Quest Global$56,377$27.10
    13Stantec$56,169$27.00150
    14Parker Hannifin$56,125$26.987
    15ITW$55,639$26.7511
    16Energy Transfer$55,637$26.75
    17GPAC$55,076$26.48
    18VIVA USA$54,803$26.35
    19Modine Manufacturing$54,705$26.306
    20Aerojet Rocketdyne$54,698$26.30
  4. Writing a design drafter job description

    A design 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 a design drafter job description:

    Design drafter job description example

    Our Building Services Team and Projects
    You will join our rapidly growing team of nearly 30 MEP/FP engineers and designers. Our senior technical and project management leaders have earned an outstanding reputation with architectural, institutional, industrial, state, and local government clients. We provide MEP/FP design and construction phase services for new construction or renovations to municipal buildings, commercial buildings, educational facilities, and water and wastewater treatment facilities.

    What will you be doing?
    You will support our project teams on the development of MEP/FP design plans using Revit and AutoCAD platforms. In your position you will be responsible for handling multiple drafting assignments concurrently, the initial set-up and organization or plan/drawing sets, creating drawings and models based upon written and verbal guidance from designers and engineers, and working closely with design staff to ensure drawings are accurate and complete. You will thoroughly review all modeling and drafting assignments for accuracy, completeness, quality, and conformance with the company's drafting standards.

    What do you need?
    You will need five or more years of experience drafting and modeling building mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. You should have a proficiency working in Revit and AutoCAD with a working knowledge of Revit/CAD standards and best practices. You should have a diploma or certificate in technical drafting or the equivalent of practical training. You should be detail oriented, an effective communicator, and have a strong understanding of the requirements for development of plan sets for the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection disciplines.

    Ways to grow your career
    We offer tuition reimbursement, internal training opportunities, professional membership reimbursement, conference attendance and networking opportunities. We also offer a clear career path progression and mentorship from more experienced staff.

    What is the culture like?
    We are fully committed to the well-being of our employees, communities, and environment. Our inclusive culture is supportive and flexible so everyone can thrive. We genuinely like each other and enjoy events like our annual company-wide summer Lobsterfest, holiday parties, ball games, and other office activities. Giving back is also very important at Tighe & Bond; we demonstrate our commitment by providing multiple scholarships and encouraging employees to earn more PTO by participating in our award-winning Make a Difference community service program.

    Your financial future and wellness
    Our benefits consistently receive top marks from our employees, and they are designed for all generations, including a unique student loan repayment assistance program. As an employee-owned company, we offer robust deferred income benefits to help you build wealth through our matching 401(k), ESOP, and annual profit sharing. We offer a $500 wellness program incentive, a generous PPO medical plan with a $0 in-network deductible, dental, eye care, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, PTO, optional legal insurance, adoption assistance, spot awards, scholarships for employees' college students, paid parental leave, Leadership in Safety awards, employee referral incentives, and fitness and weight loss reimbursements.

    More about Tighe & Bond
    We are a growing, well-established, employee-owned engineering and environmental consulting firm with 440 employees. A Top 10 New England ENR design firm, Tighe & Bond was recognized by Civil Engineering News and Zweig Group as one of the “Best Firms” to work for in the country. Our team of designers, planners, scientists, and engineers provide creative solutions for land use, transportation, landscape architecture & urban design, structural and MEP design, and address critical challenges that impact water resources and the environment throughout the northeast.

    Equal Opportunity Employer
    We are an equal opportunity employer and affords equal opportunity to all applicants and employees for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected under local, state, or federal laws.

  5. Post your job

    To find design drafters for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any design drafters they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level design drafters with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your design drafter job on Zippia to find and recruit design drafter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit design 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    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 design drafter

    Once you've found the design 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new design drafter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  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 a design drafter?

Hiring a design drafter comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting design drafters involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of design drafter recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $50,021 per year for a design drafter, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for design drafters in the US typically range between $17 and $32 an hour.

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