Find Trade Colleges

Study Area & Zipcode

Drafting & Design Engineering Major

Find Schools Near

Drafting & Design Engineering

2,945 Associate's Degrees Annually
322 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#15 in Popularity (Associate's)
$56,700 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many drafting and design engineering technology graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Basic Certificate 3,724
Associate Degree 2,947
Undergraduate Certificate 1,826
Bachelor’s Degree 322

What Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to design engineering tech and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Design Engineering Tech Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in design engineering tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

undefined
  • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Design Engineering Tech Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to design engineering tech:

undefined
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Design Engineering Tech Majors

A major in design engineering tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

undefined
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Drafting & Design Engineering Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with design engineering tech:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Architectural Drafters 8.1% $54,920
Civil Drafters 8.1% $54,920
Drafters 8.2% $51,850
Electrical Drafters 6.9% $60,070
Electronic Drafters 6.9% $60,070
Mechanical Drafters 5.2% $55,920

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Drafting & Design Engineering?

2,947 Associate's Degrees Annually
25% Percent Women
32% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is one of the most frequently chosen trade school majors. It is the 15th most popular in the country with 2,945 students graduating with an associate’s in design engineering tech in 2021. This major tends to be male dominated. About 75% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of design engineering tech majors is as follows:

undefined
Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 124
Black or African American 163
Hispanic or Latino 552
White 1,843
International Students 63
Other Races/Ethnicities 202

Geographic Diversity

Design Engineering Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 2.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • India
  • Vietnam
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Mexico

How Much Do Drafting & Design Engineering Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Design Engineering Tech majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $54,240 to $59,010 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Drafting & Design Engineering Major  ( 54240 to 59010 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some degrees associated with design engineering tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for design engineering tech careers below.

undefined
Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 5.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 20.3%
Some College Courses 9.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 36.7%
Bachelor’s Degree 23.1%
Master’s Degree 4.9%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.0%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.0%

Online Drafting & Design Engineering Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 630 schools offered some type of drafting and design engineering technology program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 431 14
Certificate (2-4 Years) 21 3
Associate’s Degree 538 19
Bachelor’s Degree 2 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 9 3
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Drafting & Design Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a design engineering tech grad is $56,700 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 42% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $336,000 after 20 years!

undefined

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to design engineering tech.

Major Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology 11,466
Electromechanical Engineering Technology 10,550
Environmental Control Technology 8,601
Electronics Engineering Technology 8,553
Mechanical Engineering Technology 5,909
General Engineering Technology 4,421
Construction Engineering Technology 4,066
Computer Engineering Technology 3,416
Quality Control Technology 3,088
Engineering-Related Fields 1,898
Engineering Technology (Other) 1,480
Architectural Engineering Technology 1,251
Civil Engineering Technology 1,182
Energy Systems Technologies 1,161
Engineering-Related Technologies 974
Mining & Petroleum Technology 445
Nuclear Engineering Technology 220
Nanotechnology 16

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.