Wichita 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 Wichita, Kansas
When you look at a map of the U.S., Wichita is smack dab in the center. That made the city an ideal destination for cattle drives from Oklahoma to load the herds onto trains going across the country. It also gave Wichita the nickname "Cowtown" and created the first Wichita jobs running the trading posts that welcomed weary cowboys at the end of their drives. Those early days are preserved at the Old Cowtown Museum that recreates Wichita in the 19th century, complete with building-lined streets in a 23-acre, open-air site.
After the turn of the century, Wichita took on a new nickname as the "Air Capital of the World." You may recognize the name "Cessna" as a popular airplane model. Clyde Cessna started manufacturing his famous planes in Wichita in 1916. Other Wichita-based airplane brands that followed include Beechcraft, Airbus, Learjet, and Spirit Aerosystems. The National Institute for Aviation Research continues to keep Wichita in the air business. Perhaps its history in flight led to the saying, "It's a bird, it's a plane—it's Superman," whose hometown is Wichita in many comic books. If you'd like your career to take off by landing a job in Wichita, remember it's also just a short drive to Kansas City, Topeka, and Salina.
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How Much Do Drafting Jobs Pay in Wichita, Kansas?
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 Wichita, Kansas, 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 Wichita is $23.10 per hour, which is 5% lower than the national average.
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