How to hire a draftsman/designer

How to hire a draftsman/designer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step draftsman/designer hiring guide:

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

Post a draftsman/designer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your draftsman/designer 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 draftsman/designer 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

   A draftsman/designer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, draftsman/designers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of draftsman/designers.

   Type of Draftsman/Designer	Description	Hourly rate
   Draftsman/Designer	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.	$14-42
   Architectural Internship	The job of architectural interns is to assist an architect with all aspects of architectural work. Their duties and responsibilities may include maintaining project files, conducting research on construction sites such as zoning laws and regulations, and preparing presentations for clients... Show more	$19-33
   Computer Aided Drafter	A computer-aided drafter is responsible for creating designs, usually for industrial manufacturing and construction projects, using computer-aided software systems and applications. Computer-aided drafters should have excellent command in programming languages and navigating computer system codes to develop a technical output, following the clients' specifications and business requirements... Show more	$15-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Design Layouts
   • Solidworks
   • Shop Drawings
   • R
   • HVAC
   • Customer Specifications
   • CNC
   • Assembly Drawings
   • Auto CAD
   • BOM
   • Aided Design
   • Engineering Drawings
   • Construction Drawings
   • ANSI

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and supervise other draftsmen.
   • Assist with structural steel detailing, machine design, CNC graphics and ceramics machine design projects.
   • Detail preliminary design drawings to create BOM's, production use shop layouts, and specific details.
   • Travele to various work sites to dimension and sketch details of the projects.
   • Develop and maintain current Revit templates for consistency and overall visual quality of projects.
   • Design and draft building components from red lines create by MEP engineers with revit software.

   More draftsman/designer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your draftsman/designer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A draftsman/designer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a draftsman/designer in Idaho may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level draftsman/designer usually earns less than a senior-level draftsman/designer. Additionally, a draftsman/designer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average draftsman/designer salary

   $52,529yearly

   $25.25 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level draftsman/designer salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average draftsman/designer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$66,051	$32
   2	Connecticut	$62,490	$30
   3	California	$59,309	$29
   4	Texas	$56,356	$27
   5	Rhode Island	$55,856	$27
   6	Nevada	$53,647	$26
   7	Massachusetts	$53,559	$26
   8	Ohio	$52,772	$25
   9	Virginia	$50,507	$24
   10	Utah	$48,383	$23
   11	Indiana	$47,414	$23
   12	Florida	$40,417	$19

   Average draftsman/designer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	TalentBurst	$65,914	$31.69
   2	Managed Staffing	$51,533	$24.78
   3	Randstad North America, Inc.	$51,157	$24.59	1
   4	King Technology	$50,601	$24.33
   5	Dexter Apache Holdings, Inc.	$50,209	$24.14
   6	Steven Winter Associates	$49,941	$24.01
   7	All Native Systems LLC	$49,931	$24.01
   8	Cache Valley Electric	$49,444	$23.77
   9	Kimley-Horn	$49,114	$23.61	65
   10	Huen Electric	$44,389	$21.34

4. Writing a draftsman/designer job description

   A job description for a draftsman/designer 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 draftsman/designer job description:

   Draftsman/designer job description example

   Works under the direction of a foreman, assist skilled workers in performing their assigned duties, and performs a large variety of other duties. Ability to interpret shop sketches, identifies material listed on sketches, and fabricates pipe spools from detailed sketches.
   Functional Requirements:
   Read and sign off on JSA; gather material listed on sketch to fabrication table; record heat numbers from fittings to the sketch if required; lay out for inside and outside diameter nozzle attachments; prep pipe and fittings with pneumatic grinders for fit up; use a plasma or oxy/fuel cutting torch; clean out inside diameter with compressed air after fit up; math skills required to add and subtract dimensions, figure inside/outside arc of ells, figure outside diameter rolls for spool orientation such as attachments, flange two holes; and maintains a clean work area. Qualification Standards:
   Preferably one (1) to four (4) years of experience in specified skill
   Pre-employment on-site qualification test
   Post-offer drug/alcohol screen and physical evaluation
   OSHA approved corrective eye wear (Z87)
   Job site "Personal Protective Equipment" requirements (hearing protection, safety glasses, long sleeve shirt, gloves, steel toe boots, etc)
   
   Physical Involvement:
   Employee may be required to do the following: climbing ladders, scaffolds, structures, etc. above and below ground level; maintaining balance on ladders, scaffolds, structures, etc.; reaching in all directions, handling and manipulating objects and materials; coordinating the movements of eyes, hands and fingers to operate tools and equipment; lifting 30 to 50 pounds from ground level, waist level, and/or overhead; carrying objects, tools equipment, etc.; standing; sitting; walking; pushing; pulling; bending; kneeling; crouching/squatting; crawling; seeing with or without correction; hearing with or without correction Mental Involvement:
   Employee may be required to do the following: following set procedures and standards; applying basic mathematical skills; planning work and selecting proper tools; reading and interpreting load charts; judging distances and slopes accurately; following oral and/or written directions; reading; writing; ability to recognize and report safety hazards Work Environment Factors:
   Location: industrial construction sites and/or fabrication shop
   Mobility Barriers to Access Job Site: uneven ground levels; obstructed pathways; work performed at low and/or high elevations; work performed in confined areas
   Climatic/Environmental Conditions at Job Site: Outdoor climate; Exposed to extreme hot or cold weather, excessive humidity, rain, etc.; various noise levels caused by tools, machinery, equipment, etc.; potential exposure to chemical substances Miscellaneous Requirements:
   There will be times that the individual may be required to perform a task other than their normal operation as required by the company or the foreman, owing to the job demand.
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right draftsman/designer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with draftsman/designers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit draftsman/designers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your draftsman/designer job on Zippia to find and recruit draftsman/designer 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

   Your first interview with draftsman/designer 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 draftsman/designer

   Once you've decided on a perfect draftsman/designer 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 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.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a draftsman/designer?