Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD

Types of Degrees Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	413
Basic Certificate	408
Undergraduate Certificate	238
Bachelor’s Degree	23

What Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD Majors

Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• 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.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Abilities for Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD Majors

Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

What Can You Do With a Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD Major?

People with a mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Mechanical Drafters	5.2%	$55,920

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 86% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	17
Black or African American	10
Hispanic or Latino	36
White	310
International Students	6
Other Races/Ethnicities	34

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD, too. About 1.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD majors often go into careers with median salaries of $59,010. This median refers to 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.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD

Some degrees associated with mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
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)	8.1%
Some College Courses	7.5%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	61.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	20.4%
Master’s Degree	2.8%
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.	0.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 147 schools offered some type of mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD 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)	63	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	82	2
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD Worth It?

The median salary for a mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD grad is $59,010 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 48% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $382,200 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Mechanical Drafting & CAD/CADD

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to mechanical drafting and mechanical drafting CAD/CADD.

Major	Number of Grads
General Drafting & Design Technology	4,140
CAD/CADD Drafting &/or Design Technology	2,233
Architectural Drafting & Architectural CAD/CADD	1,141
Civil Drafting & Civil Engineering CAD/CADD	86
Other Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies	70
Electrical/Electronics Drafting & Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD	49
3-D Modeling and Design Technology	18

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.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Pixabay under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.