How To Become A Mechanical Designer & Draftsman: What It Is and Career Path

What is a mechanical designer & draftsman and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Abby Guido

This personnel is a skilled professional who creates technical drawings for the designs of buildings and machines. You may have to work with architects, engineers, and scientists. You'll have to follow specifications and calculations to draw various technical plans. Also, you'll use customer feedback and data to upgrade, improve, or repair existing machines. Furthermore, you'll calculate materials and weight limitations. Likewise, you'll calculate factors such as tolerance, dimensions, and thermal and structural analysis. Additionally, you'll provide support when building and installation are ongoing. This is to ensure it is according to design specifications.

Employers seek candidates with at least a bachelor's degree in engineering and previous relevant work experience. Candidates must also have industry-specific knowledge and must be proficient in Microsoft Office and computer-aided design and drafting software. You must possess analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Annually, their average salary is $82,138. It ranges between $56,000 and $120,000.

What general advice would you give to a mechanical designer & draftsman?

Abby Guido

Assistant Professor, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University

We've all heard the buzz about networking, and there is so much buzz because it works. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is both up to date and active. Connect with all of your past professors, classmates, and anyone and everyone you meet in a professional setting. I often tell students to get into the habit of searching for any classroom guests, or guest lecturers, to connect, thank them for their time, and build their network. Share content. Write articles, or reshare those you find interesting.

Every job I have ever received in my career has been through someone else I know. I share this with students to help them see the value in relationships. I always remember the students that took the time to write a handwritten thank-you note. And I think of them when I get an email asking if I know any students are looking for work.

ScoreMechanical Designer & DraftsmanUS Average

Salary

5.7

Avg. Salary $72,591

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.4

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 10.17%

Black or African American 3.52%

Hispanic or Latino 9.85%

Unknown 4.63%

White 71.73%

Gender

female 4.49%

male 95.51%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a mechanical designer & draftsman

Explore mechanical designer & draftsman education requirements

Most common mechanical designer & draftsman degrees

Associate

50.3 %

Bachelor's

28.0 %

Diploma

9.7 %

Start to develop specific mechanical designer & draftsman skills

Skills	Percentages
Auto-Cad	13.56%
Design Layouts	9.35%
HVAC	8.37%
Assembly Drawings	6.93%
Flow Diagrams	5.56%

Complete relevant mechanical designer & draftsman training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mechanical designer & draftsmen 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 mechanical designer & draftsman based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mechanical designer & draftsman resumes.

Research mechanical designer & draftsman duties and responsibilities

Work with JPL / NASA packaging and fabrication engineering leads (on-site).
Comply with ANSI, ISO and FDA regulations and standards.
Contract HVAC design position, including design of schools and medical facilities.
Design, calculate, determine cost, quality quantity for HVAC & fire protection.5.

Prepare your mechanical designer & draftsman resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mechanical designer & draftsman 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 mechanical designer & draftsman resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable mechanical designer & draftsman resume templates

Build a professional mechanical designer & draftsman 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 mechanical designer & draftsman resume.