aerospace engineering drafter
Aerospace engineering drafters convert the aerospace engineers' designs into technical drawings usually using computer-aided design programs. Their drawings detail dimensions, fastening and assembling methods and other specifications used in the manufacture of aircrafts and spacecrafts.
aerospace engineering drafter aerospace engineering drafters convert the aerospace engineers' designs into technical drawings usually using computer-aided design programs. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include engineering principles, CADD software, design drawings, mathematics, aircraft mechanics.
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 aerospace engineering drafter, 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
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Physics
What you'd actually do
- Test aircraft systems under simulated operational conditions, performing systems readiness tests and pre- and post-operational checkouts, to establish design or fabrication parameters.
- Identify required data, data acquisition plans, and test parameters, setting up equipment to conform to these specifications.
- Inspect, diagnose, maintain, and operate test setups and equipment to detect malfunctions.
- Confer with engineering personnel regarding details and implications of test procedures and results.
- Operate and calibrate computer systems and devices to comply with test requirements and to perform data acquisition and analysis.
- Record and interpret test data on parts, assemblies, and mechanisms.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does aerospace engineering drafter do?
Aerospace engineering drafters convert the aerospace engineers' designs into technical drawings usually using computer-aided design programs. Their drawings detail dimensions, fastening and assembling methods and other specifications used in the manufacture of aircrafts and spacecrafts.
What skills does aerospace engineering drafter need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include engineering principles, CADD software, design drawings, mathematics, aircraft mechanics, technical drawings. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace aerospace engineering drafter?
Our AI-durability model gives aerospace engineering drafter a score of 0.50 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.