How to become a drafting technologist or technician
Official title: Drafting technologists and technicians
Also called: Drafting clerk, Drafting tracer, Drafting checker, Drafting supervisor, Drafting technician, Drafting group leader, Drafting technologist, Drafting design checker, Tool checker - drafting, Steel detailer - drafting, Drafting office supervisor, Marine drafting supervisor
Drafting technologists and technicians prepare engineering designs, drawings and related technical information, such as building information models (BIM), in multidisciplinary engineering teams or in support of engineers, architects or industrial designers, or they may work independently. They are employed by consulting and construction companies, utility, resource and manufacturing companies, all levels of government and by a wide range of other establishments.
Main tasks
- Drafting technologists
- Develop and prepare engineering designs and drawings from preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets and other data
- Create building information models (BIM), using computer software, to provide digital representations of physical and functional aspects of buildings and other engineering projects
- Operate computer-assisted design (CAD) and drafting workstations
- Develop and prepare design sketches
- Complete documentation packages and produce drawing sets
- Check and verify design drawings to conform to specifications and design data
- Write technical reports
How to become one
Completion of secondary school is usually required. Completion of a two- to three-year college program in engineering design and drafting technology or in a related field is usually required for drafting and design technologists. Completion of a one- to two-year college program in drafting or completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or four to five years of related experience plus completion of college or industry courses in drafting are usually required for drafting technicians. Trade certification for draftspersons is available, but voluntary in Ontario. Certification in engineering design and drafting technology or in a related field through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians may be required by employers. A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship. Completion of a one- to two-year college program in drafting or completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or four to five years of related experience plus completion of college or industry courses in drafting are usually required for drafting technicians. Apprenticeships are run by each province and territory.
Pay · Outlook
- Median pay: $61,991 a year The middle half earn $49,199 to $78,000.
- About 37,700 people worked in this job in 2023, and about 39,100 are projected by 2033. (+3.7%)
- Projected labour market to 2033: balance.
Related jobs
- Architectural technologists and technicians
- Industrial designers
- Land survey technologists and technicians
- Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology
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Questions people ask
How do I become a drafting technologist or technician?
Completion of secondary school is usually required. Completion of a two- to three-year college program in engineering design and drafting technology or in a related field is usually required for drafting and design technologists. Completion of a one- to two-year college program in drafting or completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or four to five years of related experience plus completion of college or industry courses in drafting are usually required for drafting technicians. Trade certification for draftspersons is available, but voluntary in Ontario. Certification in engineering design and drafting technology or in a related field through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians may be required by employers. A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
How much does a drafting technologist or technician earn in Canada?
Median full-time pay is $61,991 a year (Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank)). The middle half earn $49,199 to $78,000.
Is a drafting technologist or technician a growing career in Canada?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2033, from about 37,700 to about 39,100 people (Employment and Social Development Canada).
Do you need a degree to become a drafting technologist or technician?
Usually not. Only 23% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Apprenticeship.
Sources
- Statistics Canada: Census 2021: employment by occupation, gender and education (98-10-0449) (2021 Census), Statistics Canada Open Licence, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Statistics Canada: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 (Version 1.0), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) (2024 to 2033), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), Open Government Licence - Canada, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03