Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 66 college programs, at a typical net price.
The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.
What Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians pays
Career outlook for Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians graduates
The job market for the occupations Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and civil drafters | 110,500 | +4.1% | $64,280 | Associate's degree |
| Mechanical drafters | 42,900 | -6.5% | $68,510 | Associate's degree |
| Electrical and electronics drafters | 21,600 | -5.6% | $73,720 | Associate's degree |
| Drafters, all other | 17,100 | -6.9% | $62,010 | Associate's degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians vs similar majors
How Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians stacks up against the closest fields in Engineering Technologies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians Engineering Technologies · this major | Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician | Engineering-Related Fields | Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 41 D | 97 A | 90 A | 91 A |
| ROI verdict | Break-even | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $56,619 | $132,815 | $109,982 | $89,857 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $46,237 | $101,386 | $89,179 | $71,410 |
| ROI vs cost | +49% | +1,058% | +700% | +461% |
| Typical debt | $16,393 | $10,555 | $25,304 | $22,024 |
| Colleges offering it | 66 | 3 | 52 | 43 |
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah Valley University Orem, UT | Certificate | $70,247 | — | +3,860% | Strong return |
| 2 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA | Certificate | $64,269 | — | +2,727% | Strong return |
| 3 | CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY | Certificate | $59,228 | — | +2,675% | Strong return |
| 4 | Dallas College Dallas, TX | Certificate | $53,241 | — | +2,464% | Strong return |
| 5 | Mott Community College Flint, MI | Certificate | $58,863 | — | +2,338% | Strong return |
| 6 | Lee College Baytown, TX | Certificate | $61,000 | — | +2,226% | Strong return |
| 7 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO | Certificate | $63,049 | — | +1,896% | Strong return |
| 8 | Weber State University Ogden, UT | Associate's | $81,431 | — | +1,676% | Strong return |
| 9 | Houston City College Houston, TX | Certificate | $55,016 | — | +1,646% | Strong return |
| 10 | Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI | Certificate | $62,151 | — | +1,629% | Strong return |
| 11 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Delhi, NY | Certificate | $74,422 | — | +1,608% | Strong return |
| 12 | Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI | Certificate | $61,635 | — | +1,515% | Strong return |
| 13 | Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT | Certificate | $60,092 | — | +1,439% | Strong return |
| 14 | Lamar Institute of Technology Beaumont, TX | Certificate | $64,670 | — | +1,319% | Strong return |
| 15 | Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA | Certificate | $58,551 | — | +1,290% | Strong return |
| 16 | Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, WI | Certificate | $59,960 | — | +1,248% | Strong return |
| 17 | Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FL | Certificate | $53,643 | — | +1,242% | Strong return |
| 18 | College of Western Idaho Nampa, ID | Certificate | $60,009 | $7,375 | +1,242% | Strong return |
| 19 | Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE | Certificate | $56,867 | — | +1,194% | Strong return |
| 20 | Anoka Technical College Anoka, MN | Certificate | $66,696 | — | +1,180% | Strong return |
| 21 | Amarillo College Amarillo, TX | Certificate | $50,391 | — | +1,072% | Strong return |
| 22 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN | Certificate | $60,988 | — | +1,058% | Strong return |
| 23 | Front Range Community College Westminster, CO | Certificate | $60,055 | — | +1,055% | Strong return |
| 24 | Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA | Certificate | $55,819 | — | +1,010% | Strong return |
| 25 | Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN | Certificate | $56,219 | — | +992% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.