Electrical and Electronics Drafters

What the job really is

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

At a glance

• Sector: Architecture & Engineering
• O*NET-SOC code: 17-3012
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Draft detail and assembly drawings of design components, circuitry or printed circuit boards, using computer-assisted equipment or standard drafting techniques and devices.
• Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications, or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
• Assemble documentation packages and produce drawing sets to be checked by an engineer or an architect.
• Review completed construction drawings and cost estimates for accuracy and conformity to standards and regulations.
• Consult with engineers to discuss or interpret design concepts, or determine requirements of detailed working drawings.
• Confer with engineering staff and other personnel to resolve problems.
• Measure factors that affect installation and arrangement of equipment, such as distances to be spanned by wire and cable.
• Design electrical systems, such as lighting systems.
• Draw master sketches to scale showing relation of proposed installations to existing facilities and exact specifications and dimensions.
• Review work orders or procedural manuals and confer with vendors or design staff to resolve problems or modify design.
• Locate files relating to specified design project in database library, load program into computer, and record completed job data.
• Examine electronic schematics and supporting documents to develop, compute, and verify specifications for drafting data, such as configuration of parts, dimensions, or tolerances.

Tools and technology

Adobe Illustrator, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Navisworks, Autodesk Revit, Bentley MicroStation, C, C++, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Linux, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Mechanical Drafters
• Architectural and Civil Drafters
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
• Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Electrical Engineers
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Calibration Technologists and Technicians

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Electrical and Electronics Drafters — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.