Architectural and Civil Drafters

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Architecture & Engineering
• O*NET-SOC code: 17-3011
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk Revit, Bentley MicroStation, C, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Mechanical Drafters
• Electrical and Electronics Drafters
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Architectural and Engineering Managers
• Civil Engineers
• Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
• Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Architectural and Civil Drafters — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.