CAD Draughtsman
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
Produces accurate technical drawings from sketches, surveys or design intent, most often in civil, mechanical or architectural work. Drawing standards and revision discipline are the craft.
- Route in
- Earliest entry: ITI. Also entered at: ITI, Diploma. Direct entry. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹13,000 – ₹25,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- State PWD and municipal bodies, Real estate developers, Consulting engineers, Architecture and design firms
How people get in
Getting in
Earliest entry point. ITI level.
Other levels people enter from. ITI, Diploma.
Where people work
Outlook
State PWD and municipal bodies, Real estate developers, Consulting engineers, Architecture and design firms.
Indicative starting salary
Understand the role
13,000 - 25,000 per month at entry level.
This is an indicative range, not a quote. Actual pay varies with employer, city, sector and the specific role.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 10, then ITI Draughtsman, or Class 12 then a diploma Required
The ITI is two years and directly vocational. A diploma in civil or mechanical engineering is three years and takes you further.
Master AutoCAD to a professional standard Required
Not just drawing - layers, blocks, external references, sheet sets and plotting standards. Most self-taught CAD users never learn the parts that make a drawing office work.
Work in a design or contractor's office Required
Producing and revising drawings to a house standard, and learning how drawings are checked and issued.
Add 3D and discipline-specific tools Required
Revit for buildings, SolidWorks or Inventor for mechanical, or Civil 3D for infrastructure. One tool learned deeply beats three learned shallowly.
Take responsibility for drawing packages Required
Owning a package - coordinating with other disciplines, tracking revisions and issuing for construction.
BIM coordinator, or design office lead Optional
BIM coordination is the fastest-growing route and pays substantially above conventional draughting.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹13,000 – ₹25,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a CAD Draughtsman?
The earliest entry point is iti level. People also enter from: ITI, Diploma.
Where does a CAD Draughtsman usually work?
State PWD and municipal bodies, Real estate developers, Consulting engineers, Architecture and design firms.
What does a CAD Draughtsman earn to start?
13,000 - 25,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.