Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Electrical and electronics drafters work in a specialized technical field that combines drawing, technology, and problem solving. National employment stands at 22,000, indicating a relatively focused profession. The typical entry point is an associate’s degree, making this a career that is accessible without a longer four-year program. The role calls for strengths in computers and information technology, mathematics, science, and strong writing and reading skills, along with critical and analytical thinking and careful attention to detail. Median annual pay of $73,720 reflects the value placed on these combined technical and analytical abilities. While projected national employment growth is -5.6%, there are still an estimated 2,000 annual openings, suggesting ongoing turnover and hiring needs. Individuals who enjoy creative and innovative work, along with project management, mechanical understanding, and structured problem solving and decision making, may find this career a good match, especially if they are comfortable working in a precise, detail-oriented environment.
Electrical and electronics drafters earn a national median annual salary of $73,720. This pay level reflects the occupation’s blend of technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Salaries vary across locations. Among the top states by opportunity score, Massachusetts shows a median salary of $87,290, while California is at $78,310 and New York at $77,830. Colorado and Washington offer median salaries of $79,300 and $72,250, respectively. At the metro level, some areas show even higher pay. The San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA metro reports a median salary of $115,530, the highest among the listed metros. The San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH metros have median salaries of $84,680 and $86,140. These differences highlight how earnings potential can shift significantly by region, giving job seekers reason to compare specific metro and state salary levels when planning their careers.
Nationally, there are 22,000 electrical and electronics drafters, with projected employment growth of -5.6%. This indicates a decline in overall employment over the projection period. However, there are still an estimated 2,000 annual openings. These openings can reflect replacement needs as workers change jobs, retire, or leave the labor force, even when total employment is projected to decrease. The -5.6% growth projection is consistent across the top listed states and metro areas, suggesting that the broader trend affects multiple regions similarly. For career planners, this combination of declining overall employment and continuing annual openings means that opportunities may be more competitive and localized. Candidates who build strong skill sets in computers and information technology, mathematics, science, and critical thinking, and who focus their job search in regions with higher opportunity scores, may be better positioned to access available roles despite the negative growth outlook.
Location plays a major role in the career landscape for electrical and electronics drafters. Among states, California has the highest employment at 2,730, with a median salary of $78,310 and an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts offers a higher median salary of $87,290 but smaller employment at 470, paired with an opportunity score of 65.87. New York, Colorado, and Washington show median salaries between $72,250 and $79,300 and opportunity scores ranging from 56.29 to 65.78, giving a range of options for different job-market sizes and compensation levels. At the metro level, the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area stands out with an opportunity score of 77.42 and a median salary of $115,530, the highest among listed metros. The New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ metro also posts a strong opportunity score of 77.27. Other metros such as San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton offer solid combinations of employment, salary, and opportunity scores, giving candidates multiple geographic strategies to consider.
The typical education for electrical and electronics drafters is an associate’s degree. This allows entry into the field with a focused postsecondary program rather than a longer bachelor’s path. Success in this career draws on a well-rounded technical and analytical skill set. Key skills include computers and information technology, mathematics, and science, which support the technical aspects of drafting work. Strong writing and reading abilities are also important, as are critical and analytical thinking skills. The occupation benefits from creativity and innovation alongside being detail oriented, indicating that both precision and original thinking contribute to performance. Project management capabilities and mechanical skills help drafters organize tasks and understand how technical components fit together. Problem solving and decision making round out the profile, enabling professionals to address technical challenges and make sound choices. Individuals considering this career should look for associate’s degree programs that help them develop these specific skills in an integrated way.
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