Engineering and architecture
Electrical and electronics drafters
Prepare wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, and layout drawings used for the manufacture, installation, or repair of electrical equipment.
Median pay
$76,870
Growth to 2035
−3%
declining
Openings a year
1,400
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Electrical and electronics drafters
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to electrical and electronics drafters
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Electrical and electronics drafters: 36% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Draft detail and assembly drawings of design components, circuitry or printed circuit boards, using computer-assisted equipment or standard drafting techniques and devices.
- Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications, or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
- Assemble documentation packages and produce drawing sets to be checked by an engineer or an architect.
- Review completed construction drawings and cost estimates for accuracy and conformity to standards and regulations.
- Consult with engineers to discuss or interpret design concepts, or determine requirements of detailed working drawings.
- Confer with engineering staff and other personnel to resolve problems.
- Measure factors that affect installation and arrangement of equipment, such as distances to be spanned by wire and cable.
- Design electrical systems, such as lighting systems.
Also called: Computer-Aided Design Operator · Designer · Drafter · Drafting Technician (Drafting Tech) · Electrical Designer · Electrical Drafter · Layout Designer · Printed Circuit Board Designer (PCB Designer)
Outlook and AI
Electrical and electronics drafters held 18,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 18,200 by 2035 (−3%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as software capabilities allow drafters to perform work more rapidly.
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