How to hire a drafter

How to hire a drafter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step 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 drafter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new drafter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a drafter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your 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 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?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of drafters and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Drafter	Description	Hourly rate
   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.	$15-26
   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
   Design Technician	A design technician's role revolves around conducting extensive research and analysis to determine a company's needs. The technician will develop system plans and collaborate with fellow technicians and engineers... Show more	$17-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Layout Drawings
   • Aided Design
   • Revit
   • Auto CAD
   • Engineering Drawings
   • Sketch
   • Assembly Drawings
   • Shop Drawings
   • Construction Drawings
   • GD
   • Technical Drawings
   • GIS
   • Design Drawings
   • PDF

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and supervise other draftsmen.
   • Draft 2D and 3D mechanical, electrical and plumbing designs in Revit and AutoCAD base on MEP's drafting standards.
   • Position include adding a new finish edge sketch to existing product and DXF new drawing out to AutoCAD for CNC machining.
   • Create SolidWorks 3D drawings of customer files.
   • Prepare 3-D drawings to be insert into PowerPoint presentations.
   • Utilize GPS unit and software to survey land areas for projects.

   More drafter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the drafter job description is a good way to get more applicants. A 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 drafter in Alaska may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level drafter. Additionally, a drafter with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average drafter salary

   $43,542yearly

   $20.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level drafter salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average drafter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$54,078	$26
   2	District of Columbia	$49,597	$24
   3	New York	$47,867	$23
   4	California	$47,801	$23
   5	Washington	$47,764	$23
   6	Oregon	$46,702	$22
   7	Illinois	$45,733	$22
   8	North Carolina	$45,651	$22
   9	Pennsylvania	$44,597	$21
   10	Colorado	$43,900	$21
   11	Kansas	$43,792	$21
   12	Arizona	$43,629	$21
   13	Texas	$43,574	$21
   14	Minnesota	$43,332	$21
   15	Florida	$42,909	$21
   16	Nevada	$42,380	$20
   17	Missouri	$41,861	$20
   18	Alabama	$39,936	$19
   19	South Carolina	$39,859	$19
   20	Arkansas	$39,840	$19

   Average drafter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	National Grid plc	$56,117	$26.98
   2	Johnson Controls	$55,483	$26.67	3
   3	Page Southerland Page	$52,698	$25.34
   4	Forum Energy Technologies	$52,409	$25.20
   5	Hord Coplan Macht	$52,298	$25.14
   6	St. Tammany Health System	$51,964	$24.98
   7	Sheladia Associates	$51,705	$24.86
   8	Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline	$51,097	$24.57
   9	ONEOK	$51,046	$24.54
   10	SP Industries	$50,462	$24.26
   11	Fortune Brands Home & Security	$50,420	$24.24
   12	Shalom Baranes Associates	$50,364	$24.21
   13	Toro	$50,047	$24.06
   14	Westinghouse Appliances Australia	$49,560	$23.83	2
   15	Dover	$49,489	$23.79
   16	Teledyne Technologies Incorporated	$49,118	$23.61	1
   17	MicroPort	$49,010	$23.56
   18	Eaton	$48,969	$23.54	5
   19	Summit Utilities	$48,720	$23.42
   20	Jacobs Engineering Group	$48,603	$23.37

4. Writing a drafter job description

   A 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 drafter job description:

   Drafter job description example

   High school diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.) with at least five (5) years or experience, or Vo-Tech or other technical training with at least three (3) years of experience in related fields; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.

   
   

   License Requirements:

   • Valid Driver's License as per State law or requirement

   
   

   Specific Skills:

   • Advanced AutoCAD and computer database understanding and proficiency.

   • Understanding of discipline specific symbology (i.e., ISA, welding symbols, etc.).

   
   

   Physical Requirements:

   • Ability to walk up to one mile on industrial plant and construction sites outdoors at any time of the year.

   • Ability to work in protective clothing which may elevate body temperatures by several degrees Fahrenheit for periods of up to 15 minutes without a break.

   • Ability to use multi-level stair towers and rung ladders unassisted.

   • Ability to hear safety alarms and signals while wearing hearing protection.

   • Ability to sit at desk and operate computer for extended periods of time.

   • Ability to stand, use hands and fingers, grip, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and talk and hear.

   • Ability to see with visual acuity and distinguish between colors.

   • Ability to operate a motor vehicle and have a valid driver's license.

   • Ability to lift and carry 15 lbs. on a regular basis is required and at times lifting up to 25

   • lbs. may be required.

   
   

   
   

   Requirements:

   Client/Discipline Information

   
   

   • Maintain plant PFD's, P&IDs, and ISOs

   • Read/interpret drawing packages

   • Review, revise and refine AutoCAD drawings based on project redlines

   • Track changes to drawings and maintain a log of changes

   • Participate in drawing document control for the MOC process

   • Field-verify sketches for accuracy

   • Support inspection by maintaining piping circuit drawings

   • Maintain filing system for drawings

   
   

   
   
   

   PI192412040

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right 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 drafter job on Zippia to find and recruit drafter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting drafters requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 drafter

   Once you've decided on a perfect drafter candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new 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 drafter?