Architecture & Engineering
Electrical and Electronics Drafters
Also called: Computer-Aided Design Operator, Designer, Drafter, Drafting Technician (Drafting Tech)
US median pay
$76,870
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-3.4%
declining
Openings a year (US)
1,400
18,900 employed
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
Prepare wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, and layout drawings used for the manufacture, installation, or repair of electrical equipment.
What they do day to day
- Draft detail and assembly drawings of design components, circuitry or printed circuit boards, using computer-assisted equipment or standard drafting techniques and devices.
- Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications, or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
- Assemble documentation packages and produce drawing sets to be checked by an engineer or an architect.
- Review completed construction drawings and cost estimates for accuracy and conformity to standards and regulations.
- Consult with engineers to discuss or interpret design concepts, or determine requirements of detailed working drawings.
- Confer with engineering staff and other personnel to resolve problems.
- Measure factors that affect installation and arrangement of equipment, such as distances to be spanned by wire and cable.
- Design electrical systems, such as lighting systems.
- Draw master sketches to scale showing relation of proposed installations to existing facilities and exact specifications and dimensions.
- Review work orders or procedural manuals and confer with vendors or design staff to resolve problems or modify design.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Systems Evaluation2.9/5
- Systems Analysis2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.9/5
Knowledge
- Design4.4/5
- Engineering and Technology4.3/5
- Computers and Electronics4.2/5
- English Language3.9/5
- Mathematics3.6/5
- Administrative3.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): Associate's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Bachelor's degree40%
- Associate's degree24%
- Post-secondary certificate21%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.