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Architectural Drafters

Also called: Intern Architect, Drafter, Architect, Draftsman

What they do:
Prepare detailed drawings of architectural designs and plans for buildings and structures according to specifications provided by architect.
On the job, you would:
  • Operate computer-aided drafting (CAD) equipment or conventional drafting station to produce designs, working drawings, charts, forms and records.
  • Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
  • Coordinate structural, electrical and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.

Knowledge

Engineering and Technology
  • design
  • building and construction
Arts and Humanities
  • English language
Math and Science
  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Safety and Government
  • law and government

Skills

Basic Skills
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
People and Technology Systems
  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Problem Solving
  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Ideas and Logic
  • notice when problems happen
  • use rules to solve problems
Verbal
  • listen and understand what people say
  • read and understand what is written
Visual Understanding
  • see hidden patterns
  • quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include
creating, designing, and making your own rules.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Initiative

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Graphics or photo imaging software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects
  • Corel Paint Shop Pro
Computer aided design CAD software
  • Alias Wavefront Design Studio
  • Autodesk AutoCAD software
Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
  • Digitizing and photogrammetric software
  • Scanning software

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
master's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training Find Certifications Registered Apprenticeship Eligible for the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program

Job Outlook

Below Average Outlook
New job opportunities are less likely in the future.
Salary
$47,250
per year, on average
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Green
This work is part of the green economy.

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See more details at O*NET OnLine about architectural drafters.