How to Become a Drafter: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Jobs, Scope, Salary

What Does a Drafter do?

The duties of a mechanical draftsman generally are:

• A Drafter converts design information and specifications from engineers into schematics, technical drawings, and production plans using manual methods and/or computer-aided drafting programmes. This helps in the production of specialised tools and equipment.
• Annotate and double-check all numerical designations and specifications in technical drawings and schematics, using CAD programmes and manual calculations as needed.
• Communicate with manufacturing personnel to create detailed layouts before production, as well as assist in the design, creation, and testing of production moulds.

Steps to Become a Drafter

Below given are some of the steps to become a Drafter:

• Decision Making: The students who wish to become Drafter should make up their minds right after 10+2. They should be very passionate about the manufacturing industry and drawings. As a result, the decision should be made while they are still in school so that once they have completed 10+2, they can enrol in the appropriate course after they have completed their education.
• Subject Choices: The courses like diploma or engineering in the discipline of mechanics or such related subjects will turn out to be useful.
• Entrance Exam Preparation: The majority of engineering colleges admit students solely based on entrance exams. Some colleges may admit students based on merit. In contrast, admission to PG courses such as MTech requires the candidate to pass an entrance exam and achieve high grades. The most popular entrance exam for admissions is the JEE, which is a very difficult exam that lakhs of students take every year.
• Selecting a good College: The candidate must know which college is offering the course, they should also check the list of top colleges to prefer a good and affordable college for them. Students should have a good knowledge of the colleges offering the course and should have a list of colleges he/she prefers over the others. A few IITs and top engineering colleges also offer the course, so pursuing them should be a top priority.

How to Become a Drafter in India

After graduating from high school, the candidate should concentrate on class 12 and achieve the highest possible grades in either the commerce or science streams. Then they'll have to look for colleges that offer relevant courses in advertising or accounting. After selecting a college or a list of colleges, they must consider and work on the admissions process. After enrolling in the course, they must achieve good grades to be hired by a good firm or company.

How to Become a Drafter after 12^th?

Since Drafter courses are offered under UG, PG, Diploma and Certificate levels, the eligibility criteria for different courses vary.

UG Level Preparation

• For bachelor Drafter courses, the aspiring candidates must have completed Class 12 with Science or Commerce stream
• The candidate should have at least a minimum of 50% marks from a recognized university.
• The candidates should have passed any of the various entrance exams held for account and its research courses and should have qualified them with a good score since these exams are highly competitive.

PG Level Preparation

• For the candidate to pursue a Master's course in mechanical, he/she needs to hold a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
•  A minimum grade/percentile of 50 or 5, whichever is applicable, from a recognised university is required.
• The candidate should have also qualified for the entrance exams held for masters courses in account such as JEE, CET, BITSAT.

Courses to Become a Drafter

Some of the popular undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and diploma courses along with their eligibility criteria to become Drafter are mentioned below:

BE/BTech Mechanical Engineering

The Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering is a 4-year undergraduate engineering degree programme. This course prepares students for careers as Mechanical Engineers. The goal of this course is to prepare students to use mechanical engineering principles in the design, manufacture, and maintenance of mechanical systems.

Students who have completed their Class 12 in Science from a recognised board are eligible to apply for this BTech course. Entrance examinations such as JEE Main and JEE Advanced are used to determine admission to top BTech Mechanical engineering colleges.

Admission Process

JEE Main and JEE Advanced are the most popular engineering entrance exams in the country, and they are required for admission to primarily public universities. Private institutes may also administer their exams or rely on national/state level entrance exams. The following is a guide to applying for entrance exam-based admission.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for BTech Mechanical Engineering candidates are as follows. It should be noted that the eligibility criteria will vary by the institute.

• Candidates must have passed their 10+2 exams with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as required subjects with a minimum of 50% or higher.
• Lateral Entry admissions are available to candidates who have completed a three-year diploma in a related field from a recognised university.

Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

Diploma in Mechanical Engineering is a 3-year polytechnic course for students who have completed their tenth grade. The Diploma in Mechanical Engineering is concerned with the design, manufacture, and maintenance of mechanical equipment using scientific principles. The study of mechanical parts and devices is covered in the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. Students will learn about industrial equipment machinery, kinetics, fluid mechanics, and robotics in this course.

Admission Process

Admission to the Diploma in Mechanical Engineering is primarily based on the Entrance Exams conducted by the various states.

Eligibility Criteria

• Candidates must have a 10th-grade diploma with a minimum of 55% in Mathematics and English as core subjects.
• In some states, the minimum score for the 10th or equivalent exam is 35%.
• Candidates enrolled in vocational or ITI programmes are eligible for admission to the second year of the programme.
• To be admitted, candidates need to qualify for the entrance exams conducted at the state or national level.

Certificate in Drafting

A Certificate in Drafting is a 6-month to 1-year undergraduate certification course. The programme can be pursued full-time or part-time, depending on the candidate's preference

Admission Process

• In India, most of the institutions grant admission to Certificate in Drafting courses based on the marks obtained in the high school examination, i.e. it is merit-based. 
• Under merit-based admissions, colleges publish their cut-off lists, and students who meet their cut-off criteria are eligible to enrol in the course.

How to Become a Drafter Abroad?

When deciding whether or not to study abroad, a student must consider several factors. Several countries have a special education system. As a result, the requirements for studying Drafter may differ for students in various countries.

How to Become a Drafter in the UK?

• The candidate must have completed class 10+2 from a recognised board in India and received at least 50% of the marks.
• The candidate must have a valid IELTS score of 5 or higher, as well as a PTE score.

Check out: How to prepare for IELTS 

Top Colleges in the UK

Some of the top colleges in the UK along with their fees are mentioned below: 

How to Become a Drafter in the USA?

• The candidate must have completed class 10+2 from a recognised board in India and received at least 50% of the marks.
• The candidate must have current SAT, TOEFL, or PTE scores.
• TOEFL scores should be higher than 70, and IELTS scores should be higher than 5.5.

Check: How to qualify TOEFL

Top Colleges in the USA

Some of the top colleges in the USA along with their fees are mentioned below: 

How to Become a Drafter in Canada?

• The candidate must have completed class 10+2 from a recognised board and received at least 50% of the marks.
• The candidate must have valid IELTS results. Because most colleges accept IELTS scores, it is recommended to have a score of 6 or higher.

Top Colleges in Canada

Some of the top colleges in Canada along with their fees are mentioned below: 

How to Become a Drafter in Australia?

• The candidate must have completed class 10+2 from a recognised board and received at least 50% of the marks.
• The candidate must have current TOEFL or PTE scores.
• TOEFL scores of more than 60 are required for admission to a good college.

Top Colleges in Australia

Some of the top colleges in Australia along with their fees are mentioned below: 

Benefits of Career as a Drafter

The benefits of a career as a Drafter are relatively higher than any other profession. One will have the opportunity for advancement, a competitive salary, and will gain in-depth knowledge of tax and business law.

• Competitive Salary: A Drafter with less than 5 years of experience can expect to earn around INR 4,00,000 to INR 10,00,000 per annum. Salary is generally determined by both the company and the individual.
• Job Security: A large portion of drafting work has been digitized, allowing it to be completed online and from anywhere. For an experienced and competent person, there is little chance of job loss.
• Experience: Every time you work as a Drafter, you can gain a lot of experience; it's a continuous learning process; every time you learn a strategy, you can learn a lot about a technique or a new method.

Skills Required to become a Drafter

Some of the key skills required to become Drafter are given below in the tabular chart. 

Salary of a Drafter in India

The annual salary of a Drafter in the public and government sector is mentioned below: 

Experience Wise Salary

The average income of Drafter is according to their experiences is mentioned below: