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Architectural & Civil Drafters vs Civil Engineering Technicians

Median pay is about $1k higher for Architectural & Civil Drafters. Both usually start with the same education: associate's.

marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.

Architectural & Civil Drafters compared with Civil Engineering Technicians: pay, outlook, entry and AI exposure
MeasureArchitectural & Civil DraftersCivil Engineering Technicians
Pay
Median pay$66,150, higher$64,950
Entry pay 25th percentile$55,650, higher$51,490
Experienced pay 75th percentile$80,870, higher$80,650
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Projected growth+5.2% Growing fast, higher+3.2% Growing
Openings a year9,1006,100
Getting in
Typical educationAssociate'sAssociate's
Difficulty modeled1.8 / 52.2 / 5
AI
Displacement risk modeledHighHigh
AI exposure modeled, percentile62nd pct75th pct

Where the skills differ

Only Architectural & Civil Drafters

  • Active Learning

Only Civil Engineering Technicians

  • Speaking

Both lean on reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking, active listening, mathematics.

More comparisons

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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.