Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 15.13. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 980 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 523 | 6,129 | $45,790 | $53,359 | $14,375 9 programs |
| Associate's degree | 413 | 2,713 | $49,077 | $55,895 | $12,796 16 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 26 | 578 | $62,497 | $71,753 | $26,000 10 programs |
| Master's degree | 14 | 255 | $63,350 | $72,860 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 1 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Western Idaho ID · Public · 17 graduates measured | $55,455 | $58,283 | Data unavailable |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 36 graduates measured | $52,012 | $58,775 | $12,153 |
| Northcentral Technical College WI · Public · 23 graduates measured | $51,706 | $62,126 | Data unavailable |
| Front Range Community College CO · Public · 23 graduates measured | $48,176 | $42,277 | $14,527 |
| Porter & Chester Institute CT · Private, for-profit · 31 graduates measured | $47,333 | $57,849 | $16,535 |
| Ivy Tech Community College IN · Public · 18 graduates measured | $44,405 | Data unavailable | $7,125 |
| Bridgerland Technical College UT · Public · 16 graduates measured | $44,002 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Del Mar College TX · Public · 24 graduates measured | $40,368 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| West Kentucky Community and Technical College KY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $36,914 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Morristown TN · Public · 16 graduates measured | $35,950 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin Technical College MN · Public · 36 graduates measured | $60,479 | $63,030 | $13,500 |
| Ridgewater College MN · Public · 18 graduates measured | $56,493 | Data unavailable | $24,489 |
| Fox Valley Technical College WI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $56,137 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Lamar Institute of Technology TX · Public · 21 graduates measured | $55,894 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Waukesha County Technical College WI · Public · 27 graduates measured | $55,259 | $59,490 | $11,500 |
| College of Western Idaho ID · Public · 17 graduates measured | $55,241 | $52,926 | Data unavailable |
| Dunwoody College of Technology MN · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $54,944 | $64,719 | $12,000 |
| Minnesota State College Southeast MN · Public · 28 graduates measured | $54,926 | $58,135 | Data unavailable |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 48 graduates measured | $53,795 | $65,475 | $13,432 |
| St Cloud Technical and Community College MN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $53,268 | $60,100 | Data unavailable |
| Northcentral Technical College WI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $53,236 | $63,412 | Data unavailable |
| Pittsburgh Technical College · Private, nonprofit · 57 graduates measured | $53,101 | $59,501 | $12,000 |
| Spokane Community College WA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $52,922 | $66,859 | Data unavailable |
| Metropolitan Community College Area NE · Public · 18 graduates measured | $52,550 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| State Technical College of Missouri MO · Public · 26 graduates measured | $51,291 | $50,606 | $12,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Michigan University MI · Public · 20 graduates measured | $75,601 | $84,064 | Data unavailable |
| College for Creative Studies MI · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $70,417 | Data unavailable | $25,000 |
| Trine University IN · Private, nonprofit · 70 graduates measured | $67,537 | $77,517 | $27,000 |
| Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses IN · Private, nonprofit · 70 graduates measured | $67,537 | $77,517 | $27,000 |
| Western Michigan University MI · Public · 31 graduates measured | $66,254 | $84,622 | $31,000 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology PA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $61,920 | $68,755 | $27,000 |
| Academy of Art University CA · Private, for-profit · 76 graduates measured | $59,709 | $66,783 | $49,469 |
| University of Central Missouri MO · Public · 26 graduates measured | $58,276 | $71,326 | $22,000 |
| East Carolina University NC · Public · 28 graduates measured | $55,955 | Data unavailable | $19,125 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 20 graduates measured | $33,350 | $61,420 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Art University CA · Private, for-profit · 96 graduates measured | $63,588 | $71,613 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and civil drafters | $66,150 | +5.2% | Associate's degree |
| Electrical and electronics drafters | $76,870 | -3.4% | Associate's degree |
| Mechanical drafters | $71,550 | -6.0% | Associate's degree |
| Drafters, all other | $63,520 | -7.3% | Associate's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (8)
- 15.1301 Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General
- 15.1302 CAD/CADD Drafting and/or Design Technology/Technician
- 15.1303 Architectural Drafting and Architectural CAD/CADD
- 15.1304 Civil Drafting and Civil Engineering CAD/CADD
- 15.1305 Electrical/Electronics Drafting and Electrical/Electronics CAD/CADD
- 15.1306 Mechanical Drafting and Mechanical Drafting CAD/CADD
- 15.1307 3-D Modeling and Design Technology/Technician
- 15.1399 Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other