Computer Aided Design (CAD) Architectural Certificate of Accomplishment
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco, CA
- Cost
- $1,144
- Length
- 53 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
No outcomes reported for this program
About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Job ads may call this: Draftsman · Draftsperson · Civil Drafter · Drafting Technician
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
- Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
- Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
- Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
- Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
- Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
What this pays in San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $66,638 | $84,567 | $132,477 |
| Across California | $51,245 | $78,662 | $117,808 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $78,662per yearSan Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: $79,027
- Projected openings
- 10,740San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 880
- Projected change
- +7%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 32% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 40% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 1%
- High school diploma
- 10%
- Started college, no degree
- 29%
- Two-year degree
- 32%
- Four-year degree
- 23%
- Master's degree
- 5%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.7%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
Commercial and Industrial Designers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Designer · Mold Designer · Sign Designer · Design Engineer
- Prepare sketches of ideas, detailed drawings, illustrations, artwork, or blueprints, using drafting instruments, paints and brushes, or computer-aided design equipment.
- Modify and refine designs, using working models, to conform with customer specifications, production limitations, or changes in design trends.
- Evaluate feasibility of design ideas, based on factors such as appearance, safety, function, serviceability, budget, production costs/methods, and market characteristics.
- Confer with engineering, marketing, production, or sales departments, or with customers, to establish and evaluate design concepts for manufactured products.
- Present designs and reports to customers or design committees for approval and discuss need for modification.
What this pays in San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $75,673 | $106,911 | $173,043 |
| Across California | $64,620 | $103,591 | $173,207 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $103,591per yearSan Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: $80,046
- Projected openings
- 4,320San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 320
- Projected change
- +1.9%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Four-year degree — 51% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Bachelor's degree. 33% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 0.7%
- High school diploma
- 6%
- Started college, no degree
- 19%
- Two-year degree
- 8%
- Four-year degree
- 51%
- Master's degree
- 17%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.1%
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
This certificate includes instruction in technical drawing and the use of software tools to create 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional models for use in architecture, building science, and building information models. Students will gain significant practice in creating models through extensive lab work using industry standard software tools. This certificate program provides skills valuable to architects, construction trades, and engineers in industries where high quality building drawings are needed.For more info, visit department at: https://www.ccsf.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Human Services Agency of San FranciscoAffiliate site
Phone: 415-401-4800
3120 Mission StreetHSA-Mission OfficeSan Francisco, CA 94110about 2.2 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
EDD Workforce Service - San Francisco Civic CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 415-749-7503
801 Turk StreetEDD BuildingSan Francisco, CA 94102-3117about 4.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Has a veterans' representative
Goodwill Centralized Job CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 415-575-4570
750 Post StreetGoodwill of the San Francisco BaySan Francisco, CA 94109about 4.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am-4:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →