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Architectural and Civil Drafters Career, Salary and Skills

Architectural and Civil Drafters have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $66,150 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 103,700. Wage data is published for 337 locations.

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Occupation description

Prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works. Use knowledge of building materials, engineering practices, and mathematics to complete drawings.

O*NET code

17-3011.00

Job zone

3

Typical education

Not recorded

Experience

Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

National salary and employment

Median annual

$66,150

Hourly median

$31.80

Employment

103,700

Data year

2025

National salary distribution

$46,260
10th
$55,650
25th
$66,150
Median
$80,870
75th
$99,710
90th

Top skills

SkillImportanceLevel
Reading Comprehension3.753.88
Critical Thinking3.623.75
Active Listening3.503.62
Judgment and Decision Making3.383.38
Monitoring3.253.25
Speaking3.253.25
Writing3.253.50
Coordination3.253.12
Mathematics3.123.12
Active Learning3.123.25
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Typical tasks

  • Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
  • Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
  • Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
  • Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
  • Obtain and assemble data to complete architectural designs, visiting job sites to compile measurements as necessary.
  • Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
  • Represent architect or engineer on construction site, ensuring builder compliance with design specifications and advising on design corrections, under supervision.
  • Explain drawings to production or construction teams and provide adjustments as necessary.
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Technology

  • OpenRoads Designer
  • 100 Plus Hatch Pattern Library
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe LiveMotion
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Alias Wavefront Design Studio
  • Animation software
  • ARCOM Masterspec
  • Autodesk 3d Studio Viz
  • Autodesk 3ds Max
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Architectural and Civil Drafters salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

All 337 locations →

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.