How to Become a CAD Drafter
CAD Drafter Profile, Salary & Job Outlook
What does a CAD Drafter do?
A CAD drafter creates and prepares detailed working plans and scale drawings for complete projects from conceptual designs by engineers, architects and surveyors. CAD is abbreviated from computer-aided design and drafters use software to create digital drawings and draft designs. They gather the information in the forms of notes, sketches and rough designs before they create them. These drawings and designs are then used to manufacture products and construct buildings.
How much does a CAD Drafter make?
According to ZipRecruiter, CAD Drafters make a national average of $46,676 or $22.44 an hour (as of June 2022). In general, entry-level CAD drafters make around $38,000 annually, with senior-level CAD drafters making $52,000 a year. This wide range also depends on skill, seniority, company, and location.
What impact does this career have towards the product design industry?
CAD Drafters help designers in creating designs in either 2D or 3D so that they can visualize the production process. Because of CAD drafters, CAD engineers can create more accurate representations and modify them easily to improve design quality before production.
What is the job outlook for a CAD Drafter?
According to a report by Grand View Research, Inc, projections show that the global product design and development services market size will reach $18.6 billion by 2028. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job opportunities for drafters (including CAD Drafters) will decline at a rate of 2% during the 2020-2030 decade.
How to kick-off your career:
- Practice drawing and sketching.
- Experiment with different CAD softwares.
- Explore the Parsons x Creative Bloq UX Design Essentials online course.
- Download Yellowbrick’s Ultimate Product Career Guide.
Learn from:
Mark Prommel
Product Design Essentials contributor, Partner & Design Lead at Pensa
Related Careers:
CAD Engineer | Graphic Designer | Textile Technologist | 3D Artist | Color Technologist | UX Designer | Interaction Designer | CAD Technician | Design Engineer| Concept Artist | Prototyper | Data Analyst
