Drafting & CAD Technology
School of Industrial & Engineering Technologies
College Avenue Labs · (570) 327-4520
Career Opportunities
Excellent prospects await the successful graduate. The reward for academic perseverance is a satisfying and challenging career in a dynamic industry. The Computer Aided Drafting industry has shown consistent growth and stability over the last decade and opportunities for successful graduates will continue to increase.
Types of Jobs
Upon completion of the Computer Aided Product Design bachelor's degree, graduates will find jobs in:
- Design of products and systems in industry and for service providers, agriculture and food processors, and government agencies
- Research and development
- Sales and marketing of new products and systems requiring original design
- Additional opportunities exist in patent development, product research and development, and a variety of jobs associated with market development
- Specialty career paths may lie with loss management, safety and health issues, and environmental responses
- Reverse engineering and adaptive redesign to meet the needs of foreign markets and culture
- Most jobs will require the use of drafting and design skills, normally tied to computer manipulation of artificial intelligence application packages
Graduates will work as:
- Design technicians
- Design drafters
- Products designers
- System designers
- Project leaders
Upon completion of the Computer Aided Drafting Technology associate's degree, graduates will find work in careers such as:
- Drafter/detailer in the following fields
- mechanical
- structural
- civil
- electrical
- electronics drafting
- Lead drafter
- Checker
- Engineering aid
Placement Rates & Starting Salaries
Our 2002-03 Graduate Survey reported the followings placement and salary data:
Computer Aided Product Design - 72% related placement (18% non-related placement), with an average starting salary of $32,674.
Computer Aided Drafting Technology - 83% related placement (17% non-related placement), with an average starting salary of $28,672.
Companies hiring our graduates include Boeing, Dresser-Rand, IBM, Sheetz, and PennDot.