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Drafting & Design Technology

Types of Degrees Drafting & Design Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Drafting & Design Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	985
Associate’s Degree	1,130
Bachelor’s Degree	256
Master’s Degree	1,925

What Drafting & Design Technology Majors Need to Know

Studies in Drafting & Design Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Drafting & Design Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Drafting & Design 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

The skill set built by a Drafting & Design 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 Drafting & Design 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, Drafting & Design 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 Drafting & Design Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
NavisWorks Jetstream	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
PTC Creo Parametric	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Drafting & Design Technology graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Drafting & Design 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 Drafting & Design Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 70% of Drafting & Design Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,318	30.0%
Men	3,077	70.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Drafting & Design Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,425	55.2%
Asian	186	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,091	24.8%
Black or African American	265	6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	28	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	119	2.7%
Race Unknown	158	3.6%
International Students	118	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Drafting & Design Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Drafting & Design Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Drafting & Design Technology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Drafting & Design 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	7	21
Bachelor’s	1	1
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 Drafting & Design Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Drafting & Design 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
Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician	3,162
Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician	2,973
CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician	2,476
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.