What Can You Do with a Degree in Drafting?

An Associate Degree (AOS) in Drafting and Design can lead to many entry-level jobs and a great career. Your degree can prepare you for numerous drafting specialty jobs including:

• Residential and commercial planning
• Aeronautics and automobile manufacturing
• Junior drafting position in an architectural firm
• Civil and electrical engineering
• Manufacturing and the military
• Potential positions in other countries.

Virtually all manufacturing and construction companies need qualified drafters and designers to accomplish their work. You can become part of this challenging and rewarding career by obtaining a college degree and related work experience.

Is Drafting and Design the Right Career Choice for You?

If you enjoy drawing and designing homes, buildings, bridges, consumer products, or anything else, enrolling in a drafting and design program may be for you. Additionally, if you enjoy working with details on paper and a computer and can concentrate on creating objects at length, you are headed in the right direction. These details can include:

• Dimensions
• Materials
• Components
• Procedures
• Revisions

A career in this field allows you to combine a love of drawing, art, and design learned as a hobby. You can advance your self-learning to working with computer-aided drafting to produce technical drawings and accurate 3-D visual representations of structures and objects. If you look forward to working with architects, construction managers, engineers, surveyors, or other similar professionals, you have a kindred personality. You will work cooperatively with them to create drawings and learn to store them electronically, print them, or program them right into an automated manufacturing or assembly system.

What Does an Employee Do in Drafting and Design?

Employees typically prepare drawings for engineers to manufacture products and for architects to construct buildings, roadways, bridges, or pipelines. Others prepare wiring and layout diagrams for manufacturing electronic components and devices. On the job, you create drawings and designs to serve as visual guidelines for those who work in production. More details of your responsibilities can include:

• Fill in technical details
• Provide rough sketches
• Produce final drawings
• List specifications
• Add calculations from professionals
• Determine design elements

“An Associate Degree (AOS) in Drafting and Design can lead to many entry-level jobs and a great career.”

Drafters use their knowledge of engineering and manufacturing to create drawings manually and with computers. They also draw upon handbooks, calculators, tables, and industry software. Today, virtually all drafters use Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) systems to create their detailed work. These software programs speed up the work, allow users to see the drawings from all angles, and store them. Drafters use their training in traditional drafting techniques to fully understand and explain their work to others. They typically spend most of their time in a comfortable office working on computers but may visit job sites as necessary to complete communications. Most drafters are only required to work a standard 40-hour workweek. Many job classifications for drafters our found in the Classification of Instructional Programs.

Is There Demand for the Job and Is the Salary Competitive?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the occupational rate for drafters and designers is projected to increase by about 1% during the next decade. Additionally, the BLS reported that the median annual income for drafters in 2019 was $56,830 which equates to about $27.32 per hour. It is important to note that salaries will vary according to your specialization, the state and city, training, and your personal experience in the field. The highest-paid drafters typically work with electronics companies. Some employers provide excellent benefits that are vitally important in today’s economic climate. Many also pay for continuing education to upgrade employee skills that open the way up the corporate ladder or for other positions within the company.

How Do I Prepare for a Job and Career in Drafting and Design?

You need an Associate Degree in Drafting and Design to qualify for an entry-level position. Enrolling in a drafting and design program at a reputable technical college will provide the knowledge and skills required to meet the workload demand. It will also develop and reinforce these traits:

• Mechanical ability
• Visual aptitude
• Drawing ability
• Artistic creativity
• Interpersonal skills

During your education, you will be taught many construction, manufacturing, and engineering methods to enhance your drawings and designs. Some school programs prepare you for taking exams to become a Certified Drafter. A great way to break into this trade is to start now by researching programs and understanding the requirements. If you live in or near the Baton Rouge area, ITI Technical College is right in your backyard, making it convenient to obtain your Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) Degree in Drafting and Design. Request more information about our program today by completing the online form and one of our passionate admissions representatives will contact you. Counseling is available to all students and financial aid is available to those who qualify. We hope all this information has been helpful and we look forward to meeting with you!

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