Quick answer: The Dallas metro employs about 3,360 architectural and civil drafters (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through the employers and design firms you are targeting.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Drafting is not a licensed occupation, so there is no state board standing between a graduate and the work. Where a program sits inside engineering technology it may hold ABET-ETAC accreditation, which matters mainly if engineering licensure is a later goal. The market signals employers actually screen on are software fluency and a portfolio, with optional certification through ADDA International.
See the Texas licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with the employers and design firms you are targeting.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
This page lists 10 schools within 124 miles, nearest first in 25-mile distance bands, then by BOC Score inside each band with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Architectural and Civil Drafters in the Dallas area earn a median $66,890 per year, above the national median of $66,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Dallas metro | Texas | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $66,890 | $63,320 | $66,150 |
| 10th percentile | $46,790 | $44,950 | $46,260 |
| 25th percentile | $54,600 | $50,810 | $55,650 |
| 75th percentile | $83,220 | $81,050 | $80,870 |
| 90th percentile | $100,090 | $100,350 | $99,710 |
| Employment | 3,360 | 11,710 | 103,700 |
| Location quotient | 1.24 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan statistical area.
The Dallas median of $66,890 is above the national median of $66,150, and above the Texas statewide median of $63,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.24 means architectural and civil drafters are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Drafting demand follows the region’s architecture, engineering and construction firms and its active project pipeline, so it tracks local building activity closely.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | $63,120 | 4,130 |
| Austin | $74,230 | 1,300 |
| San Antonio | $58,750 | 760 |
| El Paso | $54,840 | 190 |
| Beaumont | $70,730 | 150 |
| Corpus Christi | $61,960 | 130 |
| McAllen | $47,790 | 120 |
| Midland | $61,610 | 110 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
The median annual wage for architectural and civil drafters in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area is $66,890, above the national median of $66,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area employs about 3,360 architectural and civil drafters (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Drafting is not a licensed occupation, so there is no state board standing between a graduate and the work. Where a program sits inside engineering technology it may hold ABET-ETAC accreditation, which matters mainly if engineering licensure is a later goal. The market signals employers actually screen on are software fluency and a portfolio, with optional certification through ADDA International. Confirm current requirements with the employers and design firms you are targeting.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies the employers and design firms you are targeting.
The Dallas metro median is $66,890 against a statewide median of $63,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
