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Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD

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

Those studying Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	5
Associate’s Degree	30
Master’s Degree	25

What Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Design — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Electrical 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	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Intergraph INtools	Computer aided design CAD software	—
ECT International Raceway Multi-Pack	Computer aided design CAD software	—
1CadCam Unigraphics	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Mentor Graphics Xpedition xDX Designer	Computer aided design CAD software	—
SystemVerilog	Development environment software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Cadence PSpice	Analytical or scientific software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Bentley Systems ProjectWise	Project management software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

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

• Line Staker
• Analog Design Engineer
• Electromechanical Design Drafter
• Design Drafter
• Electromechanisms Design Drafter
• Drafter
• Designer
• Staking Technician (Staking Tech)
• Circuit Board Drafter
• Electrical Systems Drafter
• Electrical Computer-Aided Design Operator
• Drafting Technician (Drafting Tech)
• Instrumentation Designer
• Electronic Drafter
• Electrical Distribution Designer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	23.6%
Postsecondary certificate	21.1%
Some college courses	6.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.1%
Master’s degree	2.5%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

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

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 75% of Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	15	25.0%
Men	45	75.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	34	56.7%
Asian	7	11.7%
Hispanic or Latino	10	16.7%
Black or African American	2	3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	1.7%
Two or More Races	2	3.3%
Race Unknown	2	3.3%
International Students	2	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

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

Federal data tracks median earnings of Electrical 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 Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Electrical 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	1	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 Electrical Drafting & CAD/CADD Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Electrical 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
Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD	15.1303
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
Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD	15.1306
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0303
Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician	15.0403
Integrated Circuit Design Technology/Technician	15.0306

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.