Electrical and Electronics Drafters: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Architecture and Engineering · SOC 17-3012 · O*NET 17-3012.00
Prepare wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, and layout drawings used for the manufacture, installation, or repair of electrical equipment.
Electrical and Electronics Drafters fall under the Architecture and Engineering category in the U.S. occupational classification. Electrical and Electronics Drafters earn a median salary of $73,720 per year, ranking in the top 30% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -5.6% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do electrical and electronics drafters earn?
The median annual wage for electrical and electronics drafters is $73,720. That puts electrical and electronics drafters at #245 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $48,680 |
| 25th percentile | $58,800 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $73,720 |
| 75th percentile | $91,780 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $110,180 |
| Median hourly wage | $35.44/hr |
Is electrical and electronics drafters a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for electrical and electronics drafters is -5.6%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 21K positions in 2024 to 20K in 2034, a net change of -1K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do electrical and electronics drafters do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working electrical and electronics drafters, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Review completed construction drawings and cost estimates for accuracy and conformity to standards and regulations.
- 2.Measure factors that affect installation and arrangement of equipment, such as distances to be spanned by wire and cable.
- 3.Reproduce working drawings on copy machines or trace drawings in ink.
- 4.Draft detail and assembly drawings of design components, circuitry or printed circuit boards, using computer-assisted equipment or standard drafting techniques and devices.
- 5.Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications, or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
- 6.Review work orders or procedural manuals and confer with vendors or design staff to resolve problems or modify design.
- 7.Locate files relating to specified design project in database library, load program into computer, and record completed job data.
- 8.Review blueprints to determine customer requirements and consult with assembler regarding schematics, wiring procedures, or conductor paths.
Top skills for electrical and electronics drafters
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become electrical and electronics drafter?
The standard path into electrical and electronics drafters begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about electrical and electronics drafters
What is the median salary for electrical and electronics drafters?
The median annual salary for electrical and electronics drafters is $73,720 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is electrical and electronics drafters a growing career?
BLS projects -5.6% growth for electrical and electronics drafters from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become electrical and electronics drafter?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to electrical and electronics drafters?
Related occupations within the Architecture and Engineering category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.