Career
Mechanical drafters
Draw the detailed plans machines are built from.
$71,550
Median pay
-6.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
2,900
Openings a year
Associate's degree
Typical education
2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Produce three-dimensional models, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
- Develop detailed design drawings and specifications for mechanical equipment, dies, tools, and controls, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment.
- Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to the materials.
- Design scale or full-size blueprints of specialty items, such as furniture and automobile body or chassis components.
- Lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, or angle views to depict functional relationships of components, assemblies, systems, and machines.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Produce three-dimensional models, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Critical Thinking, Operations Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
2 years of education after high school (associate's degree), for a median of $71,550 a year and 2,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0801
- Automotive Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0803
- Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.0805
- Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, GeneralCIP 15.1301
- CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/TechnicianCIP 15.1302
- Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADDCIP 15.1306
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters$76,870 · -3.4%
- Architectural and Civil Drafters$66,150 · +5.2%
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians$74,510 · +1.3%
- Model Makers, Metal and Plastic$63,340 · -17.3%
- Commercial and Industrial Designers$83,910 · +2.4%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.