About Drafting Jobs in State College, PA
State College 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 State College, Pennsylvania
Home to Penn State’s main campus in central Pennsylvania, State College is inevitably defined by the hulking influence of university life. Beaver Stadium hosts the Nittany Lions football team, a major local attraction with several Big Ten Conference championship wins. Meanwhile, the sizeable Palmer Museum of Art features a permanent collection of over 10,000 objects—extending across many centuries and cultures—in addition to rotating exhibits. Densely populated (with the greater environs nicknamed Happy Valley), State College is full of quality-of-life assets, from loads of parks and walking trails to multiple libraries, good schools, friendly residents, cultural activities, and a bustling downtown district.
As for State College jobs, academia reigns supreme here, with work widely available in the education field. Other important sectors include food services, retail, construction, and government. Housing and the overall cost of living tend to be on the higher end, but well-paying jobs with upward mobility, low crime rates, and utilities and transportation expenses that are cheaper than the national average make up for this. If you need more options, take a look at Altoona and Harrisburg nearby, as well as Pittsburgh further west.
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How Much Do Drafting Jobs Pay in State College, Pennsylvania?
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 State College, Pennsylvania, 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 State College is $25.28 per hour, which is 5% higher than the national average.
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