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CAD/CADD Drafting Technology

Types of Degrees CAD/CADD Drafting Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in CAD/CADD Drafting Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	336
Associate’s Degree	588
Bachelor’s Degree	113
Master’s Degree	1,308
Doctor’s Degree	3

What CAD/CADD Drafting Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in CAD/CADD Drafting Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that CAD/CADD Drafting Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing CAD/CADD Drafting Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Design — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a CAD/CADD Drafting Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to CAD/CADD Drafting Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Visualization — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, CAD/CADD Drafting Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.7 / 7
Processing Information	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by CAD/CADD Drafting Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
PTC Creo Parametric	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Computer aided design and drafting software CADD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
NavisWorks Jetstream	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for CAD/CADD Drafting Technology graduates include:

• CAD Draftsman (Computer-Aided Design Draftsman)
• CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Drafter)
• Drafter
• AutoCAD Technician
• Design Drafter
• CAD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design Drafter)
• AutoCAD Drafter
• Detailer
• Designer
• Computer-Aided Design Designer (CAD Designer)
• CAD Designer (Computer Aided Design Designer)
• Piping Designer
• Architectural Drafter
• Drafting Technician
• CAD Drafter (Computer Aided Design Drafter)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to CAD/CADD Drafting Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	40.1%
Bachelor’s degree	31.4%
Postsecondary certificate	15.3%
Some college courses	7.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.4%
Master’s degree	2.6%
First professional degree	0.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in CAD/CADD Drafting Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 73.8% of CAD/CADD Drafting Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	649	26.2%
Men	1,827	73.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of CAD/CADD Drafting Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,488	60.1%
Asian	95	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	460	18.6%
Black or African American	125	5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	20	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.2%
Two or More Races	92	3.7%
Race Unknown	92	3.7%
International Students	99	4.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do CAD/CADD Drafting Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of CAD/CADD Drafting Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,976
4 years	$45,788
5 years	$51,867

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,867 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online CAD/CADD Drafting Technology Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for CAD/CADD Drafting Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	4
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in CAD/CADD Drafting Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, CAD/CADD Drafting Technology graduates earn a median of $45,788 four years after completion — roughly 20% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,702
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	6,829
Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General	4,395
Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician	3,162
Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician	2,973
Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD	1,623
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557
Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician	1,144
Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician	1,112
Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD	932
Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD	108
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	68

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.