What You Need to Know About Electronic Drafters

Electronic Drafter Job Description Draw wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, schematics, and layout drawings used for manufacture, installation, and repair of electronic equipment.

Daily Life Of an Electronic Drafter

• Review blueprints to determine customer requirements and consult with assembler regarding schematics, wiring procedures, or conductor paths.
• Compare logic element configuration on display screen with engineering schematics and calculate figures to convert, redesign, or modify element.
• Examine electronic schematics and supporting documents to develop, compute, and verify specifications for drafting data, such as configuration of parts, dimensions, or tolerances.
• Train students to use drafting machines and to prepare schematic diagrams, block diagrams, control drawings, logic diagrams, integrated circuit drawings, or interconnection diagrams.
• Review work orders or procedural manuals and confer with vendors or design staff to resolve problems or modify design.
• Generate computer tapes of final layout design to produce layered photo masks or photo plotting design onto film.

Things an Electronic Drafter Should Know How to Do

Electronic Drafters state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Related Job Titles

• Computer-Aided Design Technician
• CAD Drafter (Computer Aided Design CAD Drafter)
• Electromechanisms Design Drafter
• Drafting and Printed Circuit Design Supervisor
• Printed Circuit Board PCB Designer (PCB Designer)

Job Demand for Electronic Drafters

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 27,400 jobs in the United States for Electrical and Electronics Drafters.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.8% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,900 new jobs for Electronic Drafters by 2026. The BLS estimates 2,600 yearly job openings in this field per year.

The states with the most job growth for Electrical and Electronics Drafters are California, Texas, and Florida.

Watch out if you plan on working in Washington, Wyoming, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Electronic Drafter Average Salary

The salary for Electrical and Electronics Drafters ranges between about $36,660 and $99,240 a year. The median salary is $60,070.

How much do Electrical and Electronics Drafters make in different U.S. states?

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
Washington	$88,120
District of Columbia	$87,870
Vermont	$77,590
California	$76,420
New Mexico	$74,870
Oregon	$70,700
New Jersey	$69,950
New York	$69,500
Illinois	$68,930
Louisiana	$68,510
Alaska	$67,360
New Hampshire	$65,740
Delaware	$65,480
Oklahoma	$64,650
Massachusetts	$63,880
Minnesota	$63,870
Arizona	$63,790
West Virginia	$63,740
Tennessee	$63,600
South Carolina	$63,210
Pennsylvania	$63,170
Hawaii	$63,020
North Dakota	$62,400
Maryland	$61,750
Utah	$61,660
Missouri	$61,420
Iowa	$61,380
Virginia	$61,160
Texas	$60,760
Arkansas	$60,730
Colorado	$60,430
Mississippi	$60,340
Ohio	$59,680
Connecticut	$58,250
Kentucky	$58,200
Maine	$58,190
Indiana	$57,980
Nevada	$57,850
Wyoming	$57,530
Nebraska	$56,520
Alabama	$55,550
Florida	$55,390
Wisconsin	$54,720
Georgia	$54,220
Montana	$51,960
North Carolina	$47,690
Michigan	$47,620
Kansas	$45,910
Idaho	$44,760

Tools & Technologies Used by Electronic Drafters

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Electronic Drafters:

• PTC Creo Parametric
• Manufacturing resource planning MRP software
• Zuken CADSTAR
• SoftBrands Fourth Shift Edition
• Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Exact Software Macola ERP
• Bowen & Groves M1 ERP
• UGS Solid Edge
• The MathWorks MATLAB

How do I Become an Electronic Drafter?

What kind of Electronic Drafter requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Electronic Drafters Are Employed

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons