← All 785 jobsFile 17-3012
Electrical and Electronics Drafters
Heavily edited
AI already performs a large share of the work in this job. The BLS expects 3.4% fewer of these jobs by 2035.
- Rank
- #99 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- -3.4% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $76,870 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 18,900 in the US, with about 1,400 openings a year
The work, 17 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
AI helps with this: Create visual designs or displays25%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 78 conversations, and it got them there 40% of the time.
AI does this: Read documents or materials to inform work processes14%
AI performed this in about 1 in 214 Copilot conversations and completed it 87% of the time.
AI helps with this: Coordinate with others to resolve problems10%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 738 conversations, and it got them there 83% of the time.
AI does this: Communicate with others about specifications or project details9%
AI performed this in about 1 in 117 Copilot conversations and completed it 78% of the time.
AI does this: Document technical designs, procedures, or activities6%
AI performed this in about 1 in 779 Copilot conversations and completed it 93% of the time.
AI helps with this: Gather data about operational or development activities6%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 251 conversations, and it got them there 88% of the time.
AI does this: Operate computer systems or computerized equipment6%
AI performed this in about 1 in 92 Copilot conversations and completed it 71% of the time.
AI helps with this: Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data5%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 903 conversations, and it got them there 86% of the time.
Still yours: Design electrical or electronic systems or equipment4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 683 Copilot conversations and completed it 82% of the time.
AI helps with this: Process digital or online data3%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 202 conversations, and it got them there 81% of the time. In this job the work is hands-on, so AI can only assist.
AI does this: Explain technical details of products or services3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 43 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
AI does this: Plan work activities3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 720 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
AI does this: Select materials or equipment for operations or projects1%
AI performed this in about 1 in 529 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
Still yours: Supervise personnel activities1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Present research or technical information1%
AI performed this in about 1 in 30 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
Still yours: Train others on operational or work procedures1%
AI does this in desk jobs, but in this one it is mostly hands-on.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 97 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
Even shrinking, it should still see about 1,400 openings a year as people retire or move on.
BLS on AIDrafting software lets drafters work faster, lowering demand. Source ↗
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 51% of the workArchitectural and Civil Drafters22% AI does, against 45% here+5.2% by 2035 · $66,150 · Associate’s degree
- Shares 40% of the workCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians29% AI does, against 45% here+3.2% by 2035 · $64,950 · Associate’s degree
- Shares 38% of the workCartographers and Photogrammetrists19% AI does, against 45% here+7.4% by 2035 · $81,390 · Bachelor’s degree
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the Work front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.31, higher than 89% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 17-3012 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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