Cedar Rapids Drafting Jobs Overview
Do you have a hard time choosing between a creative and technical career? Consider applying for drafting jobs, where you can combine your artistic abilities with your computer skills to help craft new buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. Drafters—also known as draftsmen, draftspeople, or drafting technicians—translate the ideas of architects and engineers into technical drawings that are easy for construction or manufacturing crews to read and build. In this career, you'll be following in the footsteps of Leonardo da Vinci, who many consider to be one of the first master drafters—his technical drawings of inventions were revolutionary.
Today, most drafters use computer-aided design (CAD) software or computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) software. Drafters can also draw by hand using a tilting table or a drafting machine, but this is mostly limited to the concept stage. Software is used for the final design.
Drafters usually specialize in one of the following areas:
- Mechanical drafters prepare diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices.
- Architectural drafters work with architects to produce designs for buildings and infrastructure.
- Civil drafters work with civil engineers to create maps, drawings, and diagrams of buildings and infrastructure.
- Electrical and electronic drafters work with electrical and electronic engineers to produce diagrams and drawings of equipment and parts.
You can expand your search for engineering jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is a comeback city. Devastated by a flood in 2008 that wiped out housing, businesses, and cornfields, Cedar Rapids has built back better. Today, it remains the largest corn-processing city in the world, with a bioprocessing industry that provides 5,000 Cedar Rapids jobs. Well-known companies, including General Mills, Cargill, Quaker Oats, and Nordstrom, also provide jobs in Cedar Rapids.
Cedar Rapids' nickname is the "City of Five Seasons." The city experiences all the best parts of spring, summer, winter, and fall, and with the amenities of a big city without the hassles, it also has a fifth season: the time to enjoy the other four. One of the best places to enjoy all five seasons in Cedar Rapids is Czech Village, also known as the New Bohemia Main Street District. The neighborhood honors Bohemian, Moravian, and Slovak immigrants who settled in Cedar Rapids in the 1800s. Today it represents their culture with shops, restaurants, and entertainment, including the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library. Nearby Cedar Rapids, you can also find jobs in thriving communities in Iowa City, Davenport, and Waterloo.
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How Much Do Drafting Jobs Pay in Cedar Rapids, Iowa?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in drafting jobs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median drafter pay in Cedar Rapids is $25.40 per hour, which is 4% higher than the national average.
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