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How to hire a drafting technician

Drafting technician hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring drafting technicians in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a drafting technician is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new drafting technician to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a drafting technician, step by step

To hire a drafting technician, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a drafting technician:

Here's a step-by-step drafting technician hiring guide:

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

What does a drafting technician do?

A Drafting Technician prepares and supervises the preparation of engineering schematics and drawings, charts, graphs, maps, and illustrations. They work closely with engineers, architects, and technologists.

Learn more about the specifics of what a drafting technician does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a drafting technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

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

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a drafting technician to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a drafting technician that fits the bill.

    Here's a comparison of drafting technician salaries for various roles:

    Type of Drafting TechnicianDescriptionHourly rate
    Drafting TechnicianCivil engineering technicians help civil engineers to plan, design, and build highways, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure projects. They also help to plan, design, and build commercial, industrial, residential, and land development projects.$14-31
    Project Engineer InternshipWhen it comes to a project engineer internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to follow the directives of engineers and managers while earning practical experience. Most of the duties will revolve around processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, participating in various projects, assisting engineers in basic tasks, and organizing inventory and supplies... Show more$14-24
    Engineering InternshipAn engineering intern is responsible for assisting the overall project development under the supervision of a head engineer. Engineering interns' duties vary in every industry but generally include generating reports, analyzing budget goals and cost estimates, reaching out to clients for important updates, and providing project improvement recommendations... Show more$12-30
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Engineering Drawings
    • Solidworks
    • Revit
    • Auto CAD
    • Aided Design
    • Civil 3D
    • Layout Drawings
    • Shop Drawings
    • Taps
    • Sketch
    • GIS
    • Construction Drawings
    • Service Calls
    • Technical Drawings
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage database and set projects against MEP, HSE, and ADA requirements.
    • Manage the life cycle of the product using PLM from creation to the top of production sample.
    • Prepare construction drawings for documentation using AutoCAD and Revit.
    • Draft boundary, topographic, and alta surveys.
    • Create avionic and electrical drawing with ANSI regulations & standards.
    • Develop exceptional SolidWorks skills, completing all projects on time and to specifications.
    More drafting technician duties
  3. Make a budget

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

    Average drafting technician salary

    $45,318yearly

    $21.79 hourly rate

    Entry-level drafting technician salary
    $31,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 31, 2026

    Average drafting technician salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$64,044$31
    2New York$59,978$29
    3Alaska$53,522$26
    4Michigan$46,681$22
    5Iowa$43,070$21
    6Virginia$42,838$21
    7Minnesota$42,835$21
    8New Mexico$36,917$18
    9South Dakota$35,969$17
    10Colorado$35,259$17
    11Texas$33,923$16
    12Florida$31,509$15
    13Nebraska$31,344$15
    14South Carolina$31,248$15

    Average drafting technician salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1City of Detroit$89,219$42.89
    2National Grid plc$71,760$34.50
    3Metropolitan Utilities District$71,172$34.22
    4Wiss Janney Elstner$60,244$28.96
    5Heller Manus Architects$60,244$28.96
    6Parsons$59,286$28.5024
    7Jacobs Engineering Group$58,537$28.14
    8Morton Buildings$49,849$23.972
    9Integrated DNA Technologies$49,569$23.83
    10Garver, LLC$47,560$22.876
    11New York State Restaurant Association$46,167$22.20
    12Danaher$45,837$22.0411
    13Minnesota State Fair$45,691$21.971
    14B. Braun Medical$45,101$21.68
    15Kramer Beverage$43,820$21.07
    16State Bar of Michigan$42,944$20.652
    17Jordan & Skala Engineers$42,767$20.56
    18Power International Holding$42,467$20.42
    19Dreamstyle Remodeling$42,106$20.24
    20NANA$41,774$20.0815
  4. Writing a drafting technician job description

    A job description for a drafting technician role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a drafting technician job description:

    Drafting technician job description example

    • Demonstrates effective written and verbal communication skills. Communication must always be professional and demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of diverse customers. Must be proficient in using various communication tools and technology to keep customers, peers, and managers apprised of their efforts
    • Must have the ability to work in an unsupervised environment and have the consistent ability to prioritize responsibilities and work effectively while dealing with a variety of requests throughout the day
    • Superior research and follow-up skills are important, especially when dealing with customers
    • Must be proficient in computer systems and Microsoft Office environment; more specifically navigating Word and Excel documents, managing a calendar, and composing various emails
    • Able to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends at special events
    • Experience operate pallet jacks and other material handling equipment a plus
    • Lifting of objects up to 60 pounds
    • Ability to maneuver up to 250 pounds with the use of a hand truck.

    Education and Experience:

    • Some college or vocational experience preferred
    • Prior experience with heating & cooling systems, plumbing or beverage systems (beer, soda, etc.) a plus

    Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

    • Valid CDL Class A, B or E Driver’s License is preferred at time of start, or be willing to obtain one upon employment

    The above statements are intended to describe general nature of the work performed by the employees assigned to this job. All employees must comply with Company policy and applicable laws. The responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified may vary within each department and/or location.

    We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right drafting technician 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 drafting technician job on Zippia to find and recruit drafting technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with drafting technician candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    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 drafting technician

    Once you've found the drafting technician 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.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new drafting technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

  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 drafting technician?

Before you start to hire drafting technicians, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire drafting technicians pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Drafting technicians earn a median yearly salary is $45,318 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find drafting technicians for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $14 and $31.

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