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Job outlook for design drafters in the United States
Design drafter job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected design drafter job growth rate is -3% from 2018-2028.
About -6,700 new jobs for design drafters are projected over the next decade.
Design drafter salaries have increased 7% for design drafters in the last 5 years.
There are over 95,150 design drafters currently employed in the United States.
There are 39,125 active design drafter job openings in the US.
The average design drafter salary is $50,021.
Are design drafter jobs in demand?
Design drafter job and salary trends over time
Design drafter jobs over time
Design drafter job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95,150 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 98,232 | 0.03% |
| 2019 | 101,739 | 0.03% |
| 2018 | 102,014 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 102,826 | 0.03% |
Average design drafter salary over time
Design drafter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,021 | $24.05 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $48,982 | $23.55 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | $48,004 | $23.08 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $47,326 | $22.75 | +1.2% |
| 2021 | $46,768 | $22.48 | +1.8% |
Design drafter jobs by state
Most common states for design drafters
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 76 | 11% |
| 2 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 373 | 9% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 530 | 8% |
| 4 | Vermont | 623,657 | 42 | 7% |
| 5 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,436 | 6% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 431 | 6% |
| 7 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 388 | 6% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 352 | 6% |
| 9 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 77 | 6% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 54 | 6% |
| 11 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 46 | 6% |
| 12 | Alaska | 739,795 | 43 | 6% |
| 13 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 33 | 6% |
| 14 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 277 | 5% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 181 | 5% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 173 | 5% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 142 | 5% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 51 | 5% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 48 | 5% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 40 | 5% |
Most common cities for design drafters
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockford | 3 | 2% | $49,192 |
| 2 | Glendale | 2 | 1% | $48,967 |
| 3 | Orlando | 2 | 1% | $47,413 |
| 4 | Kansas City | 1 | 1% | $48,111 |
| 5 | Livermore | 1 | 1% | $62,292 |
| 6 | Longmont | 1 | 1% | $51,882 |
| 7 | Tempe | 1 | 1% | $48,931 |
| 8 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $58,504 |
| 9 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $44,739 |
| 10 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $49,255 |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 1 | 0% | $44,459 |
| 12 | Miami | 1 | 0% | $47,042 |
| 13 | Tucson | 1 | 0% | $48,739 |
Design Drafter job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of design drafter experts
ADDA
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Design Drafter job market given the pandemic?
Dan Rodenbaugh: Random thoughts regarding the future workforce in engineering related occupations:
This pandemic has shown that certain occupations lend themselves to telecommuting (working from home). I would think that many aspects of CAD/Engineering Tech work could be done from home - assuming the technology available to the teleworker lends itself to that: high-speed internet, computer equipment at home capable of running those software programs, etc.
One drawback re: working from home would be IT security. I would think that engineering firms would be concerned about theft of intellectual property, industrial espionage, etc. When someone is working from home, their IT security would not be comparable to working in an office.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Design Drafters in the next 3-5 years?
Dan Rodenbaugh: Personal computers and internet, better off-site interaction.