computer-aided design operator
Computer-aided design operators use computer hardware and software in order to add the technical dimensions to computer aided design drawings. Computer-aided design operators ensure all additional aspects of the created images of products are accurate and realistic. They also calculate the amount of materials needed to manufacture the products. Later the finalised digital design is processed by computer-aided manufacturing machines that produce the finished product.
computer-aided design operator computer-aided design operators use computer hardware and software in order to add the technical dimensions to computer aided design drawings. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.55 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Haskell, Erlang, SAS language, Ruby (computer programming), Common Lisp.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £35,221 a year for CAD, drawing and architectural technicians (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £29,500 to £42,481 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3120). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only computer-aided design operator, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Frequently asked questions
What does computer-aided design operator do?
Computer-aided design operators use computer hardware and software in order to add the technical dimensions to computer aided design drawings. Computer-aided design operators ensure all additional aspects of the created images of products are accurate and realistic. They also calculate the amount of materials needed to manufacture the products. Later the finalised digital design is processed by computer-aided manufacturing machines that produce the finished product.
What skills does computer-aided design operator need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Haskell, Erlang, SAS language, Ruby (computer programming), Common Lisp, Lisp. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace computer-aided design operator?
Our AI-durability model gives computer-aided design operator a score of 0.55 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.