How To Become A Map Drafter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a map drafter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a map drafter. For example, did you know that they make an average of $26.33 an hour? That's $54,764 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 2,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMap DrafterUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $54,764

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.4

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.16%

Asian 2.91%

Black or African American 3.26%

Hispanic or Latino 10.35%

Unknown 3.72%

White 78.60%

Gender

female 23.33%

male 76.67%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

4.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a map drafter

Explore map drafter education requirements

Most common map drafter degrees

Associate

52.4 %

Bachelor's

23.8 %

High School Diploma

14.3 %

Start to develop specific map drafter skills

Skills	Percentages
CAD	77.44%
GIS	22.56%

Complete relevant map drafter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New map drafters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a map drafter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real map drafter resumes.

Research map drafter duties and responsibilities

Work with GLO surveys, quad maps and aerial imagery.
Complete dimensional documentation, BOM, structural frame welding and assembly documentation.
Input bearings and points using LDD software.

Prepare your map drafter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your map drafter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a map drafter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable map drafter resume templates

Build a professional map drafter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your map drafter resume.