Electrical and Electronics Drafters

SOC 17-3012 · 2024-2034

Prepare wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams, and layout drawings used for the manufacture, installation, or repair of electrical equipment.

How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.

Shrinking -10%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.

What California expects of this job

Typical pay in California: $80,502per year
Projected openings: 2,120
Projected change: -10%
Usually needs: Associate's degree

Skills this work uses most

O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Writing
Judgment and Decision Making
Reading Comprehension
Complex Problem Solving

Pay by region

Region	Typical pay in California	Projected openings
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties)	$104,464	530
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties)	$101,022	90
Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties)	$84,802	240
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County)	$78,548	60
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County)	$78,097	380
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County)	$76,946	370
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties)	$74,881	240
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)	$74,574	490
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties)	$71,676	380

What the pay actually ranges across

The lowest-paid tenth earn under: $52,037
A quarter earn under: $64,949
Half earn under: $80,502
Three quarters earn under: $105,400
The highest-paid tenth earn over: $150,920

A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.

Similar work

O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.

Occupation	Typical pay in California	Projected openings	Projected change
Mechanical Drafters	$84,820	3,040	-5.1%
Architectural and Civil Drafters	$78,662	10,740	+7%
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	$165,013	11,330	+0.5%
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians	$88,500	11,520	-2.9%
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians	$89,836	3,330	+5.4%
Calibration Technologists and Technicians	$81,222	1,070	0%

Programs that train for this job — 12

Basic Electronics Certificate of Accomplishment
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $929
Working 6 months later
Not reported
Earnings in one quarter after
Not reported
Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) Certificate of Accomplishment
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $1,098
Working 6 months later
Not reported
Earnings in one quarter after
Not reported
IC Layout Design
Silicon Valley Polytechnic Institute · San Jose · $3,150
Working 6 months later
100%
Earnings in one quarter after
$16,800
Computer Aided Design and Drafting with AutoCAD
Silicon Valley Polytechnic Institute · San Jose · $3,150
Working 6 months later
Not reported
Earnings in one quarter after
Not reported
Advanced 3D Computer Aided Design and Drafting with Solidworks
Silicon Valley Polytechnic Institute · San Jose · $3,150
Working 6 months later
Not reported
Earnings in one quarter after
Not reported
IC Layout Verification
Silicon Valley Polytechnic Institute · San Jose · $3,150
Working 6 months later
100%
Earnings in one quarter after
$16,800
CAD Designer / Drafter Certificate Program
Martinez Adult Education · Martinez · $5,000
Working 6 months later
100%
Earnings in one quarter after
$5,600
Computer Aided Design - Mechanical
De Anza College, Occupational Training Institute · Cupertino · $5,272
Working 6 months later
9%
Earnings in one quarter after
$14,747
Outcomes cover more than this program The provider filed these figures against more than the program named — several of its programs, or the whole institution. They are shown because they are real, and nothing here ranks or rates them, because they do not describe this program.
3D Modeling and Design Drafter
Ventura Adult and Continuing Education · Ventura · $8,781
Working 6 months later
100%
Earnings in one quarter after
$11,500
Outcomes cover more than this program The provider filed these figures against more than the program named — several of its programs, or the whole institution. They are shown because they are real, and nothing here ranks or rates them, because they do not describe this program.
Computer-Aided Design Drafter
Ventura Adult and Continuing Education · Ventura · $7,280
Working 6 months later
100%
Earnings in one quarter after
$11,500
Outcomes cover more than this program The provider filed these figures against more than the program named — several of its programs, or the whole institution. They are shown because they are real, and nothing here ranks or rates them, because they do not describe this program.
Auto CAD and SolidWorks (Online)
AAA Institute · Van Nuys · $6,000
Working 6 months later
74%
Earnings in one quarter after
$15,500
Computer Aided Drafting Level II
Zoom Graphics · Bakersfield · $6,518
Working 6 months later
Not reported
Earnings in one quarter after
Not reported