Architectural and Civil Drafters build judgment and decision making, coordination and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Civil Engineers (80%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Civil Engineers | 80% | $100,840 | +52% | Bachelor's degree |
| 2 | Construction and Building Inspectors | 76% | $74,690 | +13% | None |
| 3 | Landscape Architects | 74% | $79,870 | +21% | Bachelor's degree |
| 4 | Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | 72% | $99,280 | +50% | Graduate degree |
| 5 | Electrical Engineers | 72% | $120,630 | +82% | Bachelor's degree |
| 6 | Transportation Engineers | 72% | $100,840Pay for the broader BLS group “Civil Engineers” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 7 | Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | 71% | $81,390 | +23% | Bachelor's degree |
| 8 | Wind Energy Engineers | 71% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 9 | Industrial Engineers | 70% | $102,440 | +55% | Bachelor's degree |
| 10 | Commercial and Industrial Designers | 70% | $83,910 | +27% | Bachelor's degree |
Compared with Architectural and Civil Drafters, median $66,150. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as architectural and civil drafters (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
80% skill match · $100,840 · +52% pay
Operations Analysis · Complex Problem Solving · Systems Analysis
76% skill match · $74,690 · +13% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control
74% skill match · $79,870 · +21% pay
Operations Analysis · Operation and Control · Complex Problem Solving
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Civil Engineers (80% skill match, median $100,840), Construction and Building Inspectors (76% skill match, median $74,690) and Landscape Architects (74% skill match, median $79,870), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 15 pay more than architectural and civil drafters at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Engineers (+119%, $144,910), Aerospace Engineers (+104%, $134,960) and Electrical Engineers (+82%, $120,630).
4 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. One usually needs a graduate degree: Architects, Except Landscape and Naval.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.