Occupation Profile

Industries Employing

Mechanical Drafters

(SOC Code : 17-3013)

in California

Prepare detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods, and other engineering information.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with Post secondary vocational training .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2023	1st Qtr	$38.07	$25.95	$36.41	$45.77

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Total Job Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2018 - 2028	5,600	5,300	-300	-5.4	5,320

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Architectural, Engineering, and Re

18,707

20.6%

Architectural and Structural Met

1,752

9.3%

Navigational, Measuring, Electro

1,508

5.8%

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component

1,654

5.6%

Electrical Equipment, Appliance, a

1,113

5.0%

Other General Purpose Machinery Mfg

1,002

4.9%

Aerospace Product and Parts Manu

604

4.1%

Other Fabricated Metal Product Mfg

1,102

4.0%

Employment Services

5,110

3.7%

Machine Shops; Turned Product; a

3,445

2.8%

Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing

537

2.2%

Plastics and Rubber Products Manuf

1,286

2.1%

Building Equipment Contractors

27,541

2.0%

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing

338

1.7%

Communications Equipment Manufacturing

507

1.2%

Commercial and Service Industry

637

1.0%

Machinery, Equipment, and Suppli

7,204

1.0%

Medical Equipment and Supplies M

2,553

1.0%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician

Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General

Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Develop detailed design drawings and specifications for mechanical equipment, dies, tools, and controls, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment.

Lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, or angle views to depict functional relationships of components, assemblies, systems, and machines.

Coordinate with and consult other workers to design, lay out, or detail components and systems and to resolve design or other problems.

Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to the materials.

Review and analyze specifications, sketches, drawings, ideas, and related data to assess factors affecting component designs and the procedures and instructions to be followed.

Modify and revise designs to correct operating deficiencies or to reduce production problems.

Compute mathematical formulas to develop and design detailed specifications for components or machinery using computer-assisted equipment.

Position instructions and comments onto drawings.

Lay out, draw, and reproduce illustrations for reference manuals and technical publications to describe operation and maintenance of mechanical systems.

Design scale or full-size blueprints of specialty items such as furniture and automobile body or chassis components.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

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Data for Abilities not available.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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