Mechanical drafter

#48Declining

5/5

Key facts

−6%jobs, 2025 to 2035

United States

This job is declining in the United States. AI exposure: low according to the ILO, high according to the BLS. Employment change in the United States by 2035: −6% (BLS). Future-proof jobs use similar skills: see "What next?".

The job

Produces technical drawings of mechanical parts and assemblies with design software.

274 job titles linked to this page

Titles from the European ESCO classification. They are also used for search.

3D CAM technician
3D computer-aided manufacturing technician
3D print service technician
3D printer operator
3D printer repairer
3D printer repairman
3D printing field service technician
3D printing operator
3D printing prototyping technician
3D printing repairer
3D printing repairman
3D printing technician
aeronautical draughter
aerospace draftsperson
aerospace draughter
aerospace draughtsperson
aerospace engineering drafter
aerospace engineering draughting adviser
aerospace engineering draughting consultant
aerospace engineering draughting expert
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architectural drafter
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architectural draughter
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architectural engineering drafter
architecture drafter
architecture draftsperson
architecture draughter
architecture draughtsperson
automotive drafter
automotive drafting adviser
automotive drafting consultant
automotive drafting expert
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automotive draftsperson
automotive draughter
automotive draughtsperson
automotive engineering drafter
automotive engineering draftsperson
automotive engineering draughter
automotive engineering draughtsperson
CAD design designer
CAD design specialist
CAD design technician
CAD drafting and design draftsman
CAD drafting and design technician
CAD draughter
CAD draughtsman
CAD fashion designer
CADD Designer
CAID operator
CAM drafter
CAM draftsman
CAM draftswoman
CAM equipment operative
CAM equipment operator
CAM operator
CAM technician
circuit board designer
civil drafter
clothing CAD operator
clothing CAD specialist
clothing CAD technician
clothing computer aided designer technician
clothing computer-assisted designer technician
computer aided design designer
computer aided design draughter
computer aided design draughtsman
computer aided design specialist
computer aided design technician
computer aided designer
computer aided drafting and design draftsman
computer aided drafting and design technician
computer aided industrial manufacturing operator
computer aided manufacturing operator
computer-aided design operator
computer-aided manufacturing drafter
computer-aided manufacturing draftsman
computer-aided manufacturing draftswoman
computer-aided manufacturing equipment operative
computer-aided manufacturing equipment operator
computer-aided manufacturing technician
drafter
drafting adviser
drafting consultant
drafting expert
drafting specialist
draftsperson
draughter
draughter in electrical systems
draughter in electromechanical equipment design
draughter in electronic equipment
draughter in electronics
draughter of electrical systems
draughter of electronics
draughtsperson
electric drafter
electric draftsperson
electric draughter
electric draughtsperson
electric machinery drafter
electrical design drafter
electrical design draughter
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electrical draughtswoman
electrical engineering drafter
electrical equipment design drafter
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electrical equipment engineering draughter
electrical machinery drafter
electrical systems draughter
electro-mechanical draughter
electro-mechanical draughtsman
electro-mechanical draughtswoman
electromechanic drafter
electromechanic draftsperson
electromechanic draughter
electromechanic draughtsperson
electromechanical design drafter
electromechanical drafter
electromechanical drafting adviser
electromechanical drafting consultant
electromechanical drafting expert
electromechanical drafting specialist
electromechanical draftsperson
electromechanical draughter
electromechanical draughtsman
electromechanical draughtsperson
electromechanical draughtswoman
electromechanical engineering drafter
electromechanical equipment design drafter
electromechanical equipment design draughter
electromechanical equipment engineering draughter
electromechanics drafter
electromechanics draftsperson
electromechanics draughter
electromechanics draughtsperson
electronic drafter
electronic draftsperson
electronic draughter
electronic draughtsperson
electronics design drafter
electronics design draughter
electronics drafter
electronics drafting adviser
electronics drafting consultant
electronics drafting expert
electronics drafting specialist
electronics draftsperson
electronics draughter
electronics draughtsman
electronics draughtsperson
electronics draughtswoman
electronics engineering drafter
electronics engineering draughter
fashion CAD technician
heating, ventilation, air conditioning (and refrigeration) design engineer
heating, ventilation, air conditioning (and refrigeration) drafter
heating, ventilation, air conditioning (and refrigeration) draughter
heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration design engineer
heating, ventilation, air conditioning engineering design engineer
heating, ventilation, air conditioning engineering draughter
heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration drafter
HVAC design engineer
HVAC draughter
HVAC(R) design engineer
HVAC(R) draughter
HVACR design engineer
HVACR drafting adviser
HVACR drafting consultant
HVACR drafting expert
HVACR drafting specialist
HVACR draftsperson
HVACR draughter
HVACR draughtsperson
machinery engineering drafter
machinery engineering draftsperson
machinery engineering draughter
machinery engineering draughtsperson
marine drafter
marine draftsperson
marine draughter
marine draughtsperson
marine engineering drafter
marine engineering drafting adviser
marine engineering drafting consultant
marine engineering drafting expert
marine engineering drafting specialist
marine engineering draftsperson
marine engineering draughter
marine engineering draughtsperson
mechanical design drafter
mechanical design drafting engineer
mechanical design drafting inspector
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mechanical design drafting supervisor
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mechanical design draughting engineer
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mechanical engineering drafter
mechanical engineering drafting apprentice
mechanical engineering draughting apprentice
mechanical technology drafter
mechanical technology drafting adviser
mechanical technology drafting consultant
mechanical technology drafting expert
mechanical technology drafting specialist
mechanics engineering draftsperson
mechanics engineering draughter
mechanics engineering draughtsperson
motor vehicle drafter
motor vehicle engineering drafter
naval engineering drafter
PCB design expert
PCB design specialist
PCB designer
print service technician
printed circuit board (PCB) designer
printed circuit board design expert
printed circuit board design specialist
printed circuit board designer
printer repairer
printer repairman
printer technician
printing field service technician
printing machine technician
product development engineering drafter
product development engineering drafting adviser
product development engineering drafting consultant
product development engineering drafting expert
product development engineering drafting specialist
product development engineering draftsperson
product development engineering draughter
product development engineering draughtsperson
prototyping technician
rolling stock drafter
rolling stock draftsperson
rolling stock draughter
rolling stock draughtsperson
rolling stock engineering drafter
rolling stock engineering drafting adviser
rolling stock engineering drafting consultant
rolling stock engineering drafting expert
rolling stock engineering drafting specialist
rolling stock engineering draftsperson
rolling stock engineering draughter
rolling stock engineering draughtsperson
shipbuilding drafter
heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration draughter

What next?

Future-proof jobs that draw on skills close to this one. They are leads to explore, not an assessment of your profile.

Indicative matches: at launch they will come from the skills listed in official occupational directories.

Gauges

Risk 5/5 · Very high

AI exposureHighBLS AI exposure category "high" (2026), higher than the ILO 2025 index (low)

Employment outlookSharp declineBLS, 2025-2035 projections (Mechanical drafters)

Hiring difficultyNot availableNo US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job

PayHighBLS, 2025 median annual wage: $71,550

EntryMediumBLS, typical education needed for entry

No US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job: this gauge stays empty. How countries are compared

Sources

AI exposure categories and employment projections, 2025-2035 (XLSX file)Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States · August 2026 · official statistics
Generative AI and Jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposureInternational Labour Organization and NASK · May 2025 · large survey
Labour needs survey (BMO) 2026France Travail · 2026 · large survey
EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annexEuropean Labour Authority · June 2026 · official statistics

Checked on 27 October 2026.