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Date: 02/18/2026

Architectural and Civil Drafters

Prepare detailed drawings of architectural and structural features of buildings or drawings and topographical relief maps used in civil engineering projects, such as highways, bridges, and public works. Use knowledge of building materials, engineering practices, and mathematics to complete drawings.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Reproduce drawings on copy machines or trace copies of plans and drawings, using transparent paper or cloth, ink, pencil, and standard drafting instruments.
    • Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
    • 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.
    • Create freehand drawings and lettering to accompany drawings.
    • Calculate excavation tonnage and prepare graphs and fill-hauling diagrams for use in earth-moving operations.
    • Calculate excavation tonnage and prepare graphs and fill-hauling diagrams for use in earth-moving operations.
    • Calculate weights, volumes, and stress factors and their implications for technical aspects of designs.
    • Draw rough and detailed scale plans for foundations, buildings, and structures, based on preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets, and other data.
    • Locate and identify symbols on topographical surveys to denote geological and geophysical formations or oil field installations.
    • Calculate heat loss and gain of buildings and structures to determine required equipment specifications, following standard procedures.
    • Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
    • Finish and duplicate drawings and documentation packages according to required mediums and specifications for reproduction, using blueprinting, photography, or other duplicating methods.
    • Explain drawings to production or construction teams and provide adjustments as necessary.
    • Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
    • Correlate, interpret, and modify data obtained from topographical surveys, well logs, and geophysical prospecting reports.
    • Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to lists of materials.
    • Determine quality, cost, strength, and quantity of required materials, and enter figures on materials lists.
    • Calculate excavation tonnage and prepare graphs and fill-hauling diagrams for use in earth-moving operations.
    • Obtain and assemble data to complete architectural designs, visiting job sites to compile measurements as necessary.
    • Determine procedures and instructions to be followed, according to design specifications and quantity of required materials.
    • Prepare colored drawings of landscape and interior designs for presentation to client.
    • Plot characteristics of boreholes for oil and gas wells from photographic subsurface survey recordings and other data, representing depth, degree, and direction of inclination.
    • Determine quality, cost, strength, and quantity of required materials, and enter figures on materials lists.
    • Supervise or conduct field surveys, inspections, or technical investigations to obtain data required to revise construction drawings.
    • Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
    • Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
    • Determine quality, cost, strength, and quantity of required materials, and enter figures on materials lists.
    • Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    5
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    Knowledge

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 60540/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 29.1/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 2,780
    • Yearly Projected Openings 260

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Achievement Orientation

    Tools

    • Compasses
    • Computer mouse
    • Curves
    • Desktop computers
    • Graphics or video accelerator cards
    • Multimedia projectors
    • Notebook computers
    • Plotter printers
    • Pocket calculator
    • Print servers
    • Protractors
    • Scales
    • Scanners
    • T squares
    • Tablet computers
    • Touch pads
    • Triangles

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Development environment software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise application integration software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Geographic information system
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Map creation software
    • Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
    • Pattern design software
    • Presentation software
    • Process mapping and design software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video creation and editing software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.

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