What You Need to Know About Electrical Drafter
Electrical Drafter Definition Develop specifications and instructions for installation of voltage transformers, overhead or underground cables, and related electrical equipment used to conduct electrical energy from transmission lines or high-voltage distribution lines to consumers.
Life As an Electrical Drafter
- Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
- Use computer-aided drafting equipment or conventional drafting stations, technical handbooks, tables, calculators, and traditional drafting tools, such as boards, pencils, protractors, and T-squares.
- Reproduce working drawings on copy machines or trace drawings in ink.
- Confer with engineering staff and other personnel to resolve problems.
- Draw master sketches to scale showing relation of proposed installations to existing facilities and exact specifications and dimensions.
- Visit proposed installation sites and draw rough sketches of location.
Electrical Drafter Needed Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Electrical Drafters say are important on the job.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Other Electrical Drafter Job Titles
- Engineering Associate
- CAD Operator (Computer Aided Design Operator)
- Instrumentation Designer
- Electrical Designer
- CAD Draftsman (Computer-Aided Design Draftsman)
Is There Going to be Demand for Electrical Drafters?
In the United States, there were 27,400 jobs for Electrical Drafter in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 6.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,900 new jobs for Electrical Drafter by 2026. The BLS estimates 2,600 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Electrical Drafter are Nevada, Colorado, and Vermont. Watch out if you plan on working in Washington, Wyoming, or South Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Electrical Drafter Salary
Electrical Drafters make between $36,660 and $99,240 a year.
Electrical Drafters who work in District of Columbia, Washington, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
How much do Electrical Drafters make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $55,550 |
| Alaska | $67,360 |
| Arizona | $63,790 |
| Arkansas | $60,730 |
| California | $76,420 |
| Colorado | $60,430 |
| Connecticut | $58,250 |
| Delaware | $65,480 |
| District of Columbia | $87,870 |
| Florida | $55,390 |
| Georgia | $54,220 |
| Hawaii | $63,020 |
| Idaho | $44,760 |
| Illinois | $68,930 |
| Indiana | $57,980 |
| Iowa | $61,380 |
| Kansas | $45,910 |
| Kentucky | $58,200 |
| Louisiana | $68,510 |
| Maine | $58,190 |
| Maryland | $61,750 |
| Massachusetts | $63,880 |
| Michigan | $47,620 |
| Minnesota | $63,870 |
| Mississippi | $60,340 |
| Missouri | $61,420 |
| Montana | $51,960 |
| Nebraska | $56,520 |
| Nevada | $57,850 |
| New Hampshire | $65,740 |
| New Jersey | $69,950 |
| New Mexico | $74,870 |
| New York | $69,500 |
| North Carolina | $47,690 |
| North Dakota | $62,400 |
| Ohio | $59,680 |
| Oklahoma | $64,650 |
| Oregon | $70,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,170 |
| South Carolina | $63,210 |
| Tennessee | $63,600 |
| Texas | $60,760 |
| Utah | $61,660 |
| Vermont | $77,590 |
| Virginia | $61,160 |
| Washington | $88,120 |
| West Virginia | $63,740 |
| Wisconsin | $54,720 |
| Wyoming | $57,530 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Electrical Drafters
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Electrical Drafters may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Access
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Visio
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
- Bentley MicroStation
- PTC Creo Parametric
- Autodesk Revit
- Verilog
- Computer aided design and drafting software CADD
- PTC Pro/INTRALINK
- PTC Pro/Pipe
- PTC Pro/CABLE
- Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Project Management
How do I Become an Electrical Drafter?
Education needed to be an Electrical Drafter:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Electrical Drafters Are Employed
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Related Careers
Those who work as an Electrical Drafter sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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