All About Civil Drafters
Position Description Prepare drawings and topographical and relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, pipelines, flood control projects, and water and sewerage control systems.
List of Civil Drafter Job Duties
- Review rough sketches, drawings, specifications, and other engineering data received from civil engineers to ensure that they conform to design concepts.
- Determine quality, cost, strength, and quantity of required materials, and enter figures on materials lists.
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
- Explain drawings to production or construction teams and provide adjustments as necessary.
- Finish and duplicate drawings and documentation packages according to required mediums and specifications for reproduction, using blueprinting, photography, or other duplicating methods.
- Locate and identify symbols on topographical surveys to denote geological and geophysical formations or oil field installations.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Civil Drafter?
Civil Drafters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Other Civil Drafter Job Titles
- Directional Survey Drafter
- Draftsman
- Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Drafter (CADD Drafter)
- Geological Drafter
- Draftsperson
Job Opportunities for Civil Drafters
There were about 99,600 jobs for Civil Drafter in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 8,100 new jobs for Civil Drafter by 2026. There will be an estimated 9,500 positions for Civil Drafter per year.

The states with the most job growth for Civil Drafter are Utah, Nevada, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, West Virginia, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Civil Drafters Make A Lot Of Money?
Civil Drafters make between $35,020 and $80,880 a year.

Civil Drafters who work in District of Columbia, Illinois, or California, make the highest salaries.
How much do Civil Drafters make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $52,740 |
Alaska | $60,200 |
Arizona | $58,700 |
Arkansas | $45,500 |
California | $63,320 |
Colorado | $59,560 |
Connecticut | $64,390 |
Delaware | $52,830 |
District of Columbia | $68,330 |
Florida | $53,270 |
Georgia | $57,280 |
Hawaii | $54,520 |
Idaho | $48,710 |
Illinois | $64,720 |
Indiana | $54,080 |
Iowa | $55,490 |
Kansas | $50,500 |
Kentucky | $51,330 |
Louisiana | $56,390 |
Maine | $51,380 |
Maryland | $64,560 |
Massachusetts | $59,740 |
Michigan | $51,760 |
Minnesota | $54,300 |
Mississippi | $48,980 |
Missouri | $55,000 |
Montana | $46,020 |
Nebraska | $50,270 |
Nevada | $49,510 |
New Hampshire | $53,540 |
New Jersey | $58,840 |
New Mexico | $51,200 |
New York | $59,770 |
North Carolina | $53,160 |
North Dakota | $57,230 |
Ohio | $53,720 |
Oklahoma | $54,840 |
Oregon | $58,480 |
Pennsylvania | $52,320 |
Rhode Island | $58,190 |
South Carolina | $51,820 |
South Dakota | $43,090 |
Tennessee | $54,360 |
Texas | $56,120 |
Utah | $51,640 |
Vermont | $45,310 |
Virginia | $54,390 |
Washington | $58,170 |
West Virginia | $56,320 |
Wisconsin | $53,450 |
Wyoming | $53,050 |
What Tools do Civil Drafters Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Civil Drafters may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Extensible markup language XML
- Bentley Microstation
- PTC Creo Parametric
- ESRI ArcView
- Autodesk Revit
- Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- Geomechanical design analysis GDA software
- Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects
- ESRI ArcGIS software
How do I Become a Civil Drafter?
Individuals working as a Civil Drafter have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Who Employs Civil Drafters?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers
Those interested in being a Civil Drafter may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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