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Job outlook for drafters in the United States
Drafter job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected drafter job growth rate is -3% from 2018-2028.
About -6,700 new jobs for drafters are projected over the next decade.
Drafter salaries have increased 11% for drafters in the last 5 years.
There are over 77,515 drafters currently employed in the United States.
There are 3,968 active drafter job openings in the US.
The average drafter salary is $43,542.
Are drafter jobs in demand?
Drafter job and salary trends over time
Drafter jobs over time
Drafter job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 77,515 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 79,584 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 81,759 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 82,092 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 82,952 | 0.03% |
Average drafter salary over time
Drafter salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $43,542 | $20.93 | +2.1% |
| 2025 | $42,664 | $20.51 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $41,588 | $19.99 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $40,036 | $19.25 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $39,105 | $18.80 | +1.8% |
Drafter jobs by state
Most common states for drafters
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 177 | 2% |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 76 | 1% |
| 3 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 71 | 1% |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 63 | 1% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 48 | 1% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 40 | 1% |
| 7 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 33 | 1% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 32 | 1% |
| 9 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 21 | 1% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 19 | 1% |
| 11 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 16 | 1% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 13 | 1% |
| 13 | Alaska | 739,795 | 10 | 1% |
| 14 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 9 | 1% |
| 15 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 4 | 1% |
| 16 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 3 | 1% |
| 17 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 39 | 0% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 36 | 0% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 29 | 0% |
| 20 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 24 | 0% |
Most common cities for drafters
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | 4 | 2% | $39,914 |
| 2 | Overland Park | 3 | 2% | $43,782 |
| 3 | Bowling Green | 1 | 2% | $44,713 |
| 4 | Brea | 1 | 2% | $47,722 |
| 5 | Broomfield | 1 | 2% | $43,908 |
| 6 | Atlanta | 4 | 1% | $39,469 |
| 7 | Fremont | 2 | 1% | $48,293 |
| 8 | Tampa | 2 | 1% | $42,909 |
| 9 | Camarillo | 1 | 1% | $47,896 |
| 10 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $43,621 |
| 11 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $43,900 |
| 12 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $54,078 |
| 13 | Chandler | 1 | 0% | $43,629 |
| 14 | Chula Vista | 1 | 0% | $47,678 |
Drafter job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of drafter experts
ADDA
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the 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 Drafters in the next 3-5 years?
Dan Rodenbaugh: Personal computers and internet, better off-site interaction.