Detroit 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 Detroit, Michigan
Known as the Motor City, Detroit is the center of American automobile manufacturing. But the wheels that keep Motown rolling aren't just on cars. The first incorporated railroad in the Northwest Territory traveled from Detroit to Pontiac. The workforce that kept the trains on track received raw materials for automobiles and exported Fords, Dodges, and Chryslers all over the country. Detroit provided a path for those cars when it built the first mile of concrete highway and installed the first four-way traffic light that included the color yellow, inspired by railroad signals. Today, the auto industry sustains more than 700,000 jobs in Detroit.
Detroit continues to innovate mobility—in the food truck industry. You'll find food trucks, vans, and rolling carts throughout the city. They even have an official weekly food truck program and a food truck park. What else is on a roll? Detroit's cost of living. With housing prices that are far below the national average, it's not hard to relocate to the city while you search for Detroit jobs. And if you're not finding the right jobs in Detroit, be sure to check out the suburbs of Dearborn, Pontiac, and Southfield, as well.
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How Much Do Drafting Jobs Pay in Detroit, Michigan?
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 Detroit, Michigan, 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 Detroit is $28.87 per hour, which is 16% higher than the national average.
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