Best degree programs for Mechanical Drafters, ranked by enrollment
7 college programs and 583 schools train Mechanical Drafters. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $71,550 median wage, 39,960 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
7 college programs at 583 schools train mechanical drafters, graduating 13,851 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General. The job pays a median of $71,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About mechanical drafters
Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
7 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 15.1301 | 4,212 | 30.4% | 217 | $44,946 | $12,992 |
| 2 | CIP 15.0805 | 3,358 | 24.2% | 190 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 3 | CIP 15.1302 | 3,206 | 23.1% | 179 | $44,946 | $12,992 |
| 4 | CIP 15.0803 | 1,292 | 9.3% | 47 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 5 | CIP 15.1306 | 911 | 6.6% | 101 | $44,946 | $12,992 |
| 6 | CIP 15.0801 | 810 | 5.8% | 29 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 7 | CIP 15.1307 | 62 | 0.4% | 13 | $44,946 | $12,992 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What mechanical drafters earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $79,380 | 4,630 | 1.28× | 40 | 1,362 |
| Florida | $68,050 | 1,540 | 0.60× | 28 | 1,282 |
| California | $82,510 | 3,640 | 0.78× | 53 | 896 |
| Indiana | $62,820 | 1,300 | 1.58× | 11 | 873 |
| Ohio | $70,580 | 1,790 | 1.26× | 26 | 796 |
| Georgia | $66,670 | 820 | 0.65× | 18 | 672 |
| New York | $76,490 | 1,940 | 0.78× | 26 | 576 |
| North Carolina | $59,050 | 1,350 | 1.06× | 27 | 535 |
| Michigan | $72,280 | 2,030 | 1.80× | 29 | 516 |
| Illinois | $63,320 | 450 | 0.29× | 25 | 470 |
| Alabama | $53,600 | 440 | 0.81× | 14 | 444 |
| Utah | $70,000 | 490 | 1.09× | 9 | 408 |
| Virginia | $69,630 | 630 | 0.60× | 14 | 389 |
| Louisiana | $77,730 | 420 | 0.85× | 11 | 298 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,480 | 2,330 | 1.50× | 21 | 277 |
| Colorado | $85,280 | 580 | 0.78× | 9 | 272 |
| Washington | $76,820 | 1,690 | 1.85× | 13 | 254 |
| New Jersey | $83,380 | 690 | 0.62× | 16 | 234 |
| Kansas | $65,250 | 540 | 1.47× | 9 | 223 |
| Kentucky | $68,880 | 510 | 1.00× | 8 | 222 |
| Missouri | $66,350 | 870 | 1.15× | 11 | 213 |
| Minnesota | $73,090 | 1,220 | 1.61× | 12 | 212 |
| Wisconsin | $63,770 | 1,630 | 2.15× | 13 | 209 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $65,100 | 140 | 0.76× | 3 | 197 |
| Arizona | $67,410 | 630 | 0.76× | 8 | 188 |
| Oregon | $74,000 | 410 | 0.81× | 9 | 172 |
| Idaho | $59,050 | 330 | 1.49× | 6 | 169 |
| South Carolina | $63,740 | 640 | 1.09× | 12 | 149 |
| Mississippi | $60,460 | 260 | 0.88× | 8 | 143 |
| Oklahoma | $63,440 | 650 | 1.49× | 11 | 141 |
| Arkansas | $59,960 | 250 | 0.74× | 7 | 125 |
| Tennessee | $63,390 | 740 | 0.88× | 17 | 121 |
| Connecticutlimited | $68,830 | 450 | 1.02× | 2 | 109 |
| Iowa | $63,330 | 630 | 1.58× | 6 | 81 |
| Maryland | $76,740 | 360 | 0.51× | 6 | 79 |
| Mainemoderate | $76,360 | 620 | 3.75× | 4 | 56 |
| New Mexico | $89,940 | 90 | 0.40× | 6 | 41 |
| Nebraskamoderate | $61,170 | 530 | 2.01× | 4 | 39 |
| Massachusettsmoderate | $75,490 | 620 | 0.67× | 4 | 35 |
| New Hampshiremoderate | $55,390 | — | — | 3 | 29 |
| Delawarelimited | $57,110 | 160 | 1.26× | 1 | 27 |
| Nevadalimited | $75,830 | 250 | 0.64× | 2 | 18 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $69,290 | 100 | 0.76× | 1 | 18 |
| South Dakotalimited | $52,610 | 100 | 0.87× | 2 | 18 |
| Alaskalimited | — | 50 | 0.55× | 2 | 15 |
| Wyominglimited | $61,070 | 60 | 0.81× | 2 | 14 |
| Vermontlimited | $73,040 | 70 | 0.84× | 1 | 4 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Develop detailed design drawings and specifications for mechanical equipment, dies, tools, and controls, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment.
- Produce three-dimensional models, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
- Lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, or angle views to depict functional relationships of components, assemblies, systems, and machines.
- Modify and revise designs to correct operating deficiencies or to reduce production problems.
- Review and analyze specifications, sketches, drawings, ideas, and related data to assess factors affecting component designs and the procedures and instructions to be followed.
- Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to the materials.
- Design scale or full-size blueprints of specialty items, such as furniture and automobile body or chassis components.
- Compute mathematical formulas to develop and design detailed specifications for components or machinery, using computer-assisted equipment.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Learning3.3
- Mathematics3.3
- Active Listening3.3
- Speaking3.1
- Writing3.0
- Monitoring3.0
Knowledge areas
- Design4.8
- Engineering and Technology4.7
- Mechanical4.5
- Mathematics4.4
- English Language3.9
- Physics3.9
Abilities
- Near Vision3.8
- Visualization3.5
- Mathematical Reasoning3.5
- Fluency of Ideas3.3
- Oral Comprehension3.3
- Oral Expression3.3
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.7
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment4.7
- Getting Information4.2
- Thinking Creatively4.0
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.9
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.8
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Mechanical Drafter
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Mechanical Drafters7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0801Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0803Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0805Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.1301Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General
- 15.1302CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician
- 15.1306Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD
- 15.13073-D Modeling and Design Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Mechanical Drafter?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General, which awarded 4,212 degrees in 2024-25, 30.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Mechanical Drafter?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 13,851 people a year.
How much do mechanical drafters earn?+
The median is $71,550 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $48,360 at the 10th percentile to $106,580 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for mechanical drafters growing?+
BLS projects a -6.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 3,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
583 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do mechanical drafters work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Drafter, Design Drafter, Mechanical Drafter, Mechanical Designer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 17-3013.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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