What You'll Do

  • Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
  • Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
  • 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 architectural designs.
  • Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
  • Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
  • Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
  • Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
  • Finish and duplicate drawings and documentation packages according to required mediums and specifications for reproduction, using blueprinting, photography, or other duplicating methods.
  • Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.

Essential Skills

Reading Comprehension 3.75/5
Critical Thinking 3.62/5
Active Listening 3.5/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.38/5
Writing 3.25/5
Speaking 3.25/5
Monitoring 3.25/5
Coordination 3.25/5
Mathematics 3.12/5
Active Learning 3.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5
Time Management 3.12/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.

Common styles

Attention to Detail, Dependability, Cautiousness, Achievement Orientation, Integrity

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 3.88/5
Written Comprehension 3.88/5
Oral Expression 3.75/5
Near Vision 3.75/5
Written Expression 3.62/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.62/5
Information Ordering 3.62/5
Visualization 3.62/5

Technologies & Tools

Alias Wavefront Design Studio Autodesk 3d Studio Viz Autodesk Architectural Desktop Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Autodesk Inventor Autodesk Land Desktop Autodesk Navisworks Autodesk Revit Autodesk Revit Architecture Autodesk Softdesk Bentley MicroStation Bentley WaterCAD Computer aided design and drafting CADD software Computer aided design and drafting software CADD Computer assisted design software Dassault Systemes CATIA Dassault Systemes SolidWorks ENERCALC FastFrame Graphisoft ArchiCAD

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.85/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.5/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.33/5)
  • Achievement Orientation (High importance: 4.07/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 3.89/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Architectural CAD Drafter (Architectural Computer-Aided Design Drafter) Architectural CAD Technician (Architectural Computer-Aided Design Technician) Architectural Designer Architectural Drafter Architectural Draftsman Architectural Technician (Architectural Tech) Architectural Technologist Architecture Designer Architecture Drafter Architecture Technician (Architecture Tech) AutoCAD Designer (Auto Computer-Aided Design Designer) AutoCAD Drafter (Auto Computer-Aided Design Drafter) BIM Designer (Building Information Modeling Designer) BIM Modeler (Building Information Modeling Modeler) BIM Specialist (Building Information Modeling Specialist) Building Drafter CAD Designer (Computer Aided Design Designer) CAD Designer (Computer-Aided Design Designer) CAD Drafter (Computer Aided Design Drafter) CAD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design Drafter) CAD Draftsman (Computer-Aided Design Draftsman) CAD Draughter (Computer Aided Design Draughter) CAD Tech (Computer-Aided Design Technician) CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Drafter) CADD Drafter (Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Drafter) Civil CAD Designer (Civil Computer-Aided Design Designer) Civil CADD Designer (Civil Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Designer) Civil CADD Technician (Civil Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Technician) Civil Designer Civil Drafter Civil Engineering Designer Civil Structural Designer Commercial Drafter Computer Aided Drafter Computer-Aided Drafter Design Draftsman Directional Survey Drafter Drafting Technician (Drafting Tech) Draftsman Draftsperson Gas Drafter Geological Drafter Geophysical Drafter Heating and Ventilating Drafter Heating and Ventilation Drafter Landscape Drafter Marine Drafter Oil Drafter Plumbing Drafter Steel Detailer Structural Drafter Structural Draftsman Truss Designer

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.