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Electronics and Electrical Drafter Training and Jobs


Schools and Degrees

Courses on electronics and electrical drafting are available at universities and colleges, technical institutes and community colleges. Courses may last two or four years. Employers prefer candidates who have taken a four year program from a technical institute, as they offer in-depth technical training. Community college courses put more stress on the study of liberal arts than technical studies. Students can acquire knowledge of mathematics, engineering and architecture at technical institutes, which help to pave the way to become a good drafter.

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Training and Education

Employees normally have a postsecondary vocational award before landing a job. Degrees are held by 25% of current electronics and electrical drafters. Post-secondary schooling was enough for 62% of workers. Education topped out at high school for 13% of employees.


Job Overview

Electronics and electrical drafters make drawings and plans related to manufacturing, installing and wiring buildings and industrial places.


Job Requirements

Electronics and electrical drafters can earn certifications and degrees in drafting. A certification can be obtained from the American Design Drafting Association. Those who wish to become certified have to pass the Drafter Certification Test. Aspirants are tested on drafting concepts, working designs and other technical aspects of electronics and electrical drafting.

Visual aptitude and a keen understanding of the operations of mechanical instruments are important for electronics and electrical drafters. They also need to have a good knowledge of electronics and electrical circuitry. An aesthetic sense is an added advantage as is also the ability to communicate well and interact with different people, as they have to interact with architects, engineers, customers and other professionals.


Nature of Work

Electronic drafters work on designing and drawing schematics and assembling circuit boards and drawings for the layout of electronic devices and components. Electrical drafters prepare layout and wiring drawings for electrical equipment, power plants and buildings.

Electronics and electrical drafters work in a comfortable office environment. While preparing manual drawings, they work on drafting tables and drawing boards. They also work on computers for designing purposes. As they work for long hours doing detailed work on the computer and drawing boards, they are often susceptible to back problems, eye strain and hand and wrist problems. Electronics and electrical drafters work for about forty hours a week and a few even work on a part-time basis.


Area Job Conditions

You'll see a lot of electronics and electrical drafters in Jackson (Michigan), Huntsville (Alabama), and Norwich (Connecticut), and comparatively fewer in Dayton (Ohio), Oxnard (California), and West Palm Beach (Florida).

Wages for Workers are highest in Lowell (Massachusetts), Nassau (New York), and Poughkeepsie (New York), and lowest in Boise (Idaho), Columbus (Ohio), and Jacksonville (Florida).


Part-Time and Self Employment

Part-time work suffices for 6% of electronics and electrical drafters. Workers working on their own make up 6% of the total.


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Electronics and Electrical Drafters by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Birmingham $51,000 190 +101%
Huntsville $53,000 190 +389%
Mobile $60,000 70 +114%
Montgomery $45,000 50 +65%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Phoenix $52,000 540 +58%
Tucson $48,000 140 +115%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fort Smith $45,000 30 +34%
Little Rock $43,000 50 -24%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bakersfield $49,000 50 +2%
Los Angeles $60,000 560 -29%
Modesto $63,000 40 +40%
Oakland $67,000 290 +50%
Oxnard $67,000 70 +24%
Riverside $51,000 100 -57%
San Diego $51,000 370 +46%
San Francisco $61,000 130 -32%
San Jose $69,000 500 +188%
San Luis Obispo $51,000 50 +202%
Santa Ana $55,000 270 -4%
Santa Cruz $53,000 50 +224%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boulder $67,000 50 +77%
Colorado Springs $59,000 60 +26%
Denver $58,000 460 +90%
Fort Collins $51,000 50 +118%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $62,000 110 +35%
Hartford $62,000 110 -1%
New Haven $57,000 100 +94%
Norwich $59,000 120 +437%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Wilmington $61,000 230 +271%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $59,000 480 +2%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fort Lauderdale $46,000 120 -11%
Jacksonville $55,000 100 -14%
Miami $59,000 90 -53%
Orlando $54,000 130 -34%
Palm Bay $45,000 70 +90%
West Palm Beach $52,000 40 -60%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlanta $55,000 430 -4%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $48,000 150 +78%

Idaho

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boise $60,000 160 +224%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chicago $69,000 690 -6%
Springfield $60,000 50 +157%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gary $76,000 40 -22%
Indianapolis $56,000 120 -31%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Wichita $47,000 160 +193%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lexington $54,000 60 +32%
Louisville $50,000 80 -32%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baton Rouge $63,000 130 +83%
New Orleans $54,000 110 +8%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Portland $55,000 60 +60%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $52,000 400 +57%
Bethesda $51,000 100 -10%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boston $65,000 360 +6%
Framingham $67,000 50 +65%
Lowell $69,000 110 +403%
Springfield $54,000 70 +24%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Detroit $53,000 130 +1%
Grand Rapids $53,000 40 -45%
Warren $57,000 400 +91%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Minneapolis $54,000 360 +4%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Jackson $52,000 100 +109%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Kansas City $51,000 330 +68%
St Louis $57,000 320 +23%

Montana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Billings $51,000 60 +302%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Omaha $44,000 50 -45%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Las Vegas $73,000 100 -39%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $59,000 40 +114%
Nashua $56,000 70 +178%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Camden $63,000 150 +48%
Edison $59,000 120 -40%
Newark $58,000 150 -23%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $53,000 100 +35%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $55,000 140 +62%
Binghamton $56,000 40 +96%
Buffalo $59,000 120 +13%
Nassau $62,000 210 -15%
New York $64,000 840 -17%
Poughkeepsie $68,000 60 +29%
Rochester $56,000 130 +33%
Syracuse $67,000 140 +135%
Utica 50 +119%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charlotte $52,000 130 -22%
Durham $60,000 40 -24%
Greensboro $52,000 70 +3%
Raleigh $54,000 190 +91%
Winston Salem $48,000 50 +26%

North Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fargo $39,000 40 +80%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Canton $42,000 50 +61%
Cleveland $51,000 160 -19%
Columbus $46,000 90 -50%
Dayton $44,000 70 -4%
Youngstown $49,000 50 +17%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Oklahoma City $45,000 80 -28%
Tulsa $53,000 130 +57%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Portland $52,000 350 +77%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $48,000 60 -9%
Harrisburg $52,000 130 +113%
Philadelphia $58,000 440 +19%
Pittsburgh $48,000 460 +107%
Reading $52,000 40 +29%
York $48,000 70 +113%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $55,000 150 +40%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $52,000 160 +193%
Columbia $55,000 70 +4%
Greenville $54,000 130 +128%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chattanooga $63,000 80 +86%
Knoxville $49,000 50 -21%
Memphis $59,000 70 -41%
Nashville $50,000 150 +5%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Austin $75,000 620 +307%
Beaumont $47,000 50 +67%
Dallas $52,000 500 +23%
El Paso $35,000 70 +35%
Fort Worth $52,000 220 +31%
Houston $59,000 1,070 +109%
San Antonio $47,000 190 +12%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Salt Lake City $54,000 140 +19%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Richmond $54,000 80 -33%
Virginia Beach $49,000 180 +23%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Seattle $70,000 820 +201%
Spokane $53,000 90 +134%
Tacoma $41,000 50 0%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Appleton $55,000 30 +44%
Madison $47,000 40 -38%
Milwaukee $50,000 250 +55%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Electrical and Electronics Drafters schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.