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Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD

Types of Degrees Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	156
Associate’s Degree	540
Bachelor’s Degree	176
Master’s Degree	698

What Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD Majors Need to Know

Studies in Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Design — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Systems Analysis — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Visualization — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.8 / 7
Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.8 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Trimble SketchUp Pro	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Motion graphics software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Non uniform rational b-splines NURBS software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Intergraph Image Analyst	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Topographic map software	Map creation software	—
Sun Microsystems Cobalt	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Autodesk Architectural Desktop	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates include:

• Civil Drafter
• Civil CAD Designer (Civil Computer-Aided Design Designer)
• Civil Site Design Engineer
• Gas Drafter
• Commercial Drafter
• Landscape Drafter
• Building Drafter
• Draftsperson
• CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Drafter)
• BIM Specialist (Building Information Modeling Specialist)
• Architectural Designer
• Computer-Aided Drafting Designer (CAD Designer)
• Architectural Technician
• Heating and Ventilating Drafter
• BIM Modeler (Building Information Modeling Modeler)

Who Is Earning a Degree in Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47% women and 53% men among Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	762	47.0%
Men	861	53.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	693	42.7%
Asian	86	5.3%
Hispanic or Latino	462	28.5%
Black or African American	105	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	9	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	10	0.6%
Two or More Races	59	3.6%
Race Unknown	66	4.1%
International Students	133	8.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,976
4 years	$45,788
5 years	$51,867

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,867 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	5	2
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	2	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Architectural Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates earn a median of $45,788 four years after completion — roughly 20% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.13
3-D Modeling and Design Technology/Technician	15.1307
CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician	15.1302
Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD	15.1304
Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General	15.1301
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.1399
Electrical/Electronics Drafting and Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD	15.1305
Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD	15.1306
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0101

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.