Architecture and Engineering Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 17-3011

Architectural and Civil Drafters

Median pay sits 45% below the mid peer in Architecture and Engineering Occupations (neighbors include Chemical Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Engineers, All Other, Electrical Engineers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Architectural and Civil Drafters: Chemical Engineers ($125K) , Mechanical Engineers ($104K) , Engineers, All Other ($123K) , Electrical Engineers ($121K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Architectural and Civil Drafters publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 17-3011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors…
  2. 2. Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, an…
  3. 3. Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans
  4. 4. Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on arch…
  5. 5. Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formatio…
  6. 6. Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software
  7. 7. Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters
  8. 8. Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing
  9. 9. Finish and duplicate drawings and documentation packages according to required mediums and specifications for reproduction, using bluepri…
  10. 10. Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calc…
  11. 11. Correlate, interpret, and modify data obtained from topographical surveys, well logs, and geophysical prospecting reports
  12. 12. Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to lists of materials

Architectural and Civil Drafters: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 17-3011 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 3.6 ; lead knowledge Design. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.6
  2. 2. Complex Problem Solving 3.5
  3. 3. Systems Analysis 3.5
  4. 4. Writing 3.4
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 3.4
  6. 6. Active Learning 3.4
  7. 7. Active Listening 3.3
  8. 8. Mathematics 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Design 4.3
  2. 2. Building and Construction 4.3
  3. 3. Engineering and Technology 4.2
  4. 4. English Language 3.8
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 3.8
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.6
Pay vs Architecture and Engineering Occupations peers
-45%
vs mid peer median $120,630
This role $66,150/yr
$66K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
10,000
Annual openings
103,700
Estimated US jobs
Chemical Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $125K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Associate's degree

Top Paying States for Architectural and Civil Drafters

1. California $76,520
2. Colorado $76,370
3. Oregon $74,000
4. District of Columbia $97,880
5. Delaware $73,040
6. Connecticut $76,290
7. Georgia $74,940
8. Maryland $75,180
9. New York $76,260
10. Massachusetts $76,990

Other Architecture and Engineering Occupations titles

  1. 1. Engineers, All Other $122,930
  2. 2. Mechanical Engineers $104,110
  3. 3. Chemical Engineers $125,040
  4. 4. Electrical Engineers $120,630
  5. 5. Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers $109,370
  6. 6. Environmental Engineers $107,110

Among Architecture and Engineering Occupations peers on this card, Architectural and Civil Drafters sits 45% below the mid peer median ($120,630). Its own median is $66,150.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 10,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Associate's degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $76,520. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Chemical Engineers at $125,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Architectural and Civil Drafters pay-rank #31 in Architecture and Engineering Occupations

On the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table (36 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Architectural and Civil Drafters lands at #31, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Architectural and Civil Drafters pays 45% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Architectural and Civil Drafters salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 17-3011

California · top state for Architectural and Civil Drafters

$77K published median

Colorado · #2 state pay

$76K · behind California

Chemical Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Architectural and Civil Drafters · $125K

Mechanical Engineers

Lower-pay peer beside Architectural and Civil Drafters · $104K

Compare Architectural and Civil Drafters

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Architectural and Civil Drafters with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Architectural and Civil Drafters

Against another occupation

Chemical Engineers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Architectural and Civil Drafters land on the Architecture and Engineering Occupations median table? ▼
Architectural and Civil Drafters is pay-rank #31 of 36 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($66K), Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($65K), Calibration Technologists and Technicians ($68K), Drafters, All Other ($64K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do architectural and civil drafters do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Architectural and Civil Drafters. Leading ones include: Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors…; Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, an…; 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 arch…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for architectural and civil drafters? ▼
For SOC 17-3011, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.6), Complex Problem Solving (3.5), Systems Analysis (3.5), Writing (3.4). Knowledge areas emphasize Design, Building and Construction, Engineering and Technology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Architectural and Civil Drafters? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $66,150 as the national median for Architectural and Civil Drafters. The published 10th-90th range is $46,260 to $99,710. Beside Chemical Engineers ($125,040), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Architectural and Civil Drafters? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Architectural and Civil Drafters is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 10,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Architectural and Civil Drafters? ▼
BLS assigns Associate's degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Architectural and Civil Drafters. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Architectural and Civil Drafters? ▼
California ($76,520), Colorado ($76,370), Oregon ($74,000) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Architectural and Civil Drafters card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 17-3011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Architectural and Civil Drafters. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics