Racer's Lounge - CAD Drafting

hey guys just trying to see if anybody on here is a CAD drafter or has any experience with it and if its a good field to go into and what kinda pay it usually makes. i was going to go to a vocational college to become one but decided to do something else and it just isnt making enough right now to afford some things i want so i was wondering if anyone on here has/had a job as a drafter and could give me some info on it. thanks in advance.

I use Autocad every day at work. It depends the field you persue. Just drafting alone is very vague. Like myself, I work in the oil/gas industry designing pressure vessels. I just went to a small local vocational college as well. Yet while here I have learn tons about the ASME code, pressure calculations & process requirements for certain services of vessels. So alot of stuff is on the job learning for draftsmen. But again, it all comes down to what field you want into there. Theres structerial, mechanical, civil & so fourth.

Its gonna depend mostly on where you try to get your foot in the door, especially in this economy.

"Drafters" make about $15-$25/hr. They can move up (with experience) to "Designer" status and make $25-$40/hr. It's not a bad field.

My job consists of about 50% CAD work and 50% technical writing. I do ok for not having a Bachelor's degree.

You can easily find a job as a 'drafter' for construction and make 110k (including everything- benefits, 401k ect.) You need some experience and be a hard worker. I supported some of those guys at my last job (I do i.t.) and they do okay, let me tell you. They are all a little weird though lol

You can easily find a job as a 'drafter' for construction and make 110k (including everything- benefits, 401k ect.) You need some experience and be a hard worker. I supported some of those guys at my last job (I do i.t.) and they do okay, let me tell you. They are all a little weird though lol

And just where are these guys doin "construction" drafting making 110k a year? I have yet to see any. You'll be VERY pressed to make $100k a year drafting unless you got a really good degree & are probably gonna be labeled draftsman/engineer or designer at that point, like stated above.

Mechanical engineering/drafting is where the money is at honestly.

You can easily find a job as a 'drafter' for construction and make 110k (including everything- benefits, 401k ect.) You need some experience and be a hard worker. I supported some of those guys at my last job (I do i.t.) and they do okay, let me tell you. They are all a little weird though lol

Drafters do not make that kind of money. Maybe a top level Designer pulling in some overtime, but not a "Drafter".

Are we talking about "Drafters" working for Halliburton in Iraq? LOL

damn $100k is way more than i thought they made haha. i was kinda thinking about going into structural drafting field. but was going to ask that as well, what is the best drafting field to go into while the economy is screwy right now?

oh and i have an AutoCAD program at my house i bought from an older guy that had no use for it anymore since he had a job where they already had it, so would it be possible for me to learn how to use it from my home and maybe do house plans or house designs for people that want to build a house and sell them? or does that sound totally crazy? haha

Your gonna need more than just a Autocad program to do housing blueprints my friend. Lots of code requirements for materials & how things go together. I'd go mechanical honestly. I wanted to do house blueprints until i went to school for drafting. There is ALOT more opportunity in mechanical related fields IMO.

What Autocad release? I'm on 2010 & its completely different. I learned on Autocad 2002 & then went to 2007 & now 2010 & 2010 is the hardest to get used to so far. TONS of features. Your gonna want the latest release possible & its not cheap to buy.

I'm a Sr Designer who started as a draftsman 15 years ago out of a Techical HS for $6.50 hr . Get with the right big companies and 100k+ OT is out there. Be willing to work ALOT, learn every new program you can, 3D modeling is a 100% must..Let me know if you have any other questions.

i am a CAD designer, working with Autodesk inventor and Autocad. I can also run Unigraphics, and some CATIA. Dont expect to make these top dollars. I make about 40K and cant find a job making any more right now. Every place wants 10+ years experience. Even though i have been running autodesk inventor since my sophmore year in high school, i only have 3 years of working experience. If i had to do it all over again, i would get my bachelors before settling down in a career. Hate to be a downer, but if i had the opportunity to start over, i would not go in this direction.

Another field that pays well for CAD skills is semiconductor
layout. But typically this is not something you're going to
get into, with just AutoCAD classes. The software is very
specialized. We prefer to take top-notch electronics
technicians and teach them the software, because the
other way around leaves you with an overpaid draftsman
who can't think for himself about the consequences of
his polygons.

But if you had an elec tech degree and some CAD, you
might be able to make the sell.

The good thing about a drafter is that you can jump around to different industries as opposed to an engineer.

I am a mechanical engineer, but I love to work on CAD and solid models. I use ProE about everyday.

so overall its a pretty good field then right?

so overall its a pretty good field then right?

I'd say yes. You are in an oil & gas area (Lousiana). Like BIG_MIKE said, try and focus on the piping/mechanical side. There are plenty of engineering firms around who service all of the chemical plants, refineries, off shore oil & gas, etc. companies down in this region.

Like others were saying the oil/gas field and/or the structural steel field are good areas to be in. I was in the structural steel field for the last couple of years using sds2. Great 3d steel program. I know of a few structural steel contract detailers make 100k a year. So there's def. money to be made. You can go into alot diffeent fields as a drafter. Not a bad field, just make sure your content with sitting at a desk 8-12 hrs a day.

I'm an Architectural Designer and making about 50K/year with benefits. Could be making more, but I opted for more paid benefits than pay. This is for a very small-low pressure Architectural/Construction firm. If I wanted to go to a large high pressure firm downtown, could probably make more, but I just can't do it. My wife makes a bit more than I do, she's in the mechanical field, and has only been running Autocad inventor for about a year now.

One way to go with drafting is Surveying... We do oil and gas surveying and well directional plats involving depths and degrees... It's actually pretty simple once you're in it... It's actually a decent paying field....

alright guys well thanks for all the help i really appreciate it alot

Ive been doing cad work for about 5-6 years now.

I started in 2D, just doing blueprints and such, then moved into Solids with Autodesk Inventor and that really opened up a lot of doors for more options. Knowing CAD is definitely very useful if you plan on doing any work relating to engineering.

Pay started @ 15/hr and worked up to 32/hr.

Ok, before I ask I know these programs a VERY expensive to just go out and buy on your own but thats ok

Someone said you need more then Autocad to do housing blue prints, so what else do you need?

We do housing blueprints using basically autocad...

So doing a simple google search on autocad pricing, they sell student editions for dirt cheap, like $160 so what all is the student edition missing? Can any college student buy it?

AutoCAD is really really easy to get, even free full versions, they are like the only CAD company who I have come across that doesnt control their licenses with an iron fist

I'm a cad drafter at an architectural firm who does more commercial work. Walmart, Lowe's etc. Most of the firm is more of production cad work, but i like it. I've been doing this for almost 3 yrs now, with an associate's from a local comm. college in drafting. Good thing is i can use my work experience toward the Intern Development Program and still get liscensed as an architect without a bachelor's.

So doing a simple google search on autocad pricing, they sell student editions for dirt cheap, like $160 so what all is the student edition missing? Can any college student buy it?

I use the student version for small projects, it's free if you're an engineering student at a known university. It's definitely lacking features of the main version, too many to remember. I try to use 2010 pro first since I can think of several days that the student version gave me headaches.

AutoCAD is really really easy to get, even free full versions, they are like the only CAD company who I have come across that doesnt control their licenses with an iron fist

Really now, cause I thought Autodesk owned the AutoCAD program? At least thats who we order our software from & it has to be registered & only allowed 1 liscense per program. So you have to buy a version for each work starion to fully install & register the program.

i have a really old version of AutoCAD(97 version lol)but was going to buy the newest one if i could be able to learn on my own and do some work from my house.

Really now, cause I thought Autodesk owned the AutoCAD program? At least thats who we order our software from & it has to be registered & only allowed 1 liscense per program. So you have to buy a version for each work starion to fully install & register the program.

Back when I was getting my BSME there was quite a few civies with a pirate version of AutoCAD