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Architectural and Civil Drafters

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)	Projected Growth (2023-2033)
National Statistics	$64,280	9200	1.1%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$64,280

Median Wage (USD, 2023)

9200

Projected Job Openings (2023-2033)

1.1%

Projected Growth (2023-2033)

Prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works. Use knowledge of building materials, engineering practices, and mathematics to complete drawings.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Detailed Work Activities

Create graphical representations of civil structures.
Create graphical representations of civil structures.
Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
Create maps.
Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
Supervise engineering or other technical personnel.
Prepare detailed work plans.
Create graphical representations of civil structures.
Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
Verify mathematical calculations.
Determine operational methods.
Survey land or bodies of water to measure or determine features.
Explain engineering drawings, specifications, or other technical information.
Collect data about project sites.
Estimate operational costs.
Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
Prepare procedural documents.
Review technical documents to plan work.
Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
Analyze costs and benefits of proposed designs or projects.
Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
Prepare procedural documents.
Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
Create graphical representations of energy production systems.
Create graphical representations of structures or landscapes.
Estimate operational costs.
Estimate operational costs.
Prepare technical reports for internal use.
Prepare contracts, disclosures, or applications.
Monitor processes for compliance with standards.
Provide technical guidance to other personnel.
Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.
Review details of technical drawings or specifications.
Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
Finish and duplicate drawings and documentation packages according to required mediums and specifications for reproduction, using blueprinting, photography, or other duplicating methods.
Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
Correlate, interpret, and modify data obtained from topographical surveys, well logs, and geophysical prospecting reports.
Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to lists of materials.
Determine procedures and instructions to be followed, according to design specifications and quantity of required materials.
Supervise or conduct field surveys, inspections, or technical investigations to obtain data required to revise construction drawings.
Explain drawings to production or construction teams and provide adjustments as necessary.
Obtain and assemble data to complete architectural designs, visiting job sites to compile measurements as necessary.
Determine quality, cost, strength, and quantity of required materials, and enter figures on materials lists.
Locate and identify symbols on topographical surveys to denote geological and geophysical formations or oil field installations.
Create freehand drawings and lettering to accompany drawings.
Calculate excavation tonnage and prepare graphs and fill-hauling diagrams for use in earth-moving operations.
Prepare colored drawings of landscape and interior designs for presentation to client.
Calculate weights, volumes, and stress factors and their implications for technical aspects of designs.
Plot characteristics of boreholes for oil and gas wells from photographic subsurface survey recordings and other data, representing depth, degree, and direction of inclination.
Reproduce drawings on copy machines or trace copies of plans and drawings, using transparent paper or cloth, ink, pencil, and standard drafting instruments.
Calculate heat loss and gain of buildings and structures to determine required equipment specifications, following standard procedures.
Prepare cost estimates, contracts, bidding documents, and technical reports for specific projects under an architect's or engineer's supervision.
Represent architect or engineer on construction site, ensuring builder compliance with design specifications and advising on design corrections, under supervision.
Review rough sketches, drawings, specifications, and other engineering data to ensure that they conform to design concepts.

Work Styles

Persistence

Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Achievement/Effort

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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