Quick answer: Virginia employs about 2,600 architectural and civil drafters (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through the employers and design firms you are targeting. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare drafting and cad programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in Virginia
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.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with the employers and design firms you are targeting that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
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.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 124 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
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.
What Architectural and Civil Drafters Earn in Virginia
Architectural and Civil Drafters in Virginia earn a median $63,450 per year, below the national median of $66,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Drafting and CAD Pay and Employment in Virginia at a Glance
Metric
Virginia
National
Source
Median annual wage
$63,450
$66,150
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$47,170
$46,260
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$53,940
$55,650
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$76,800
$80,870
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$93,970
$99,710
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
2,600
103,700
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.95
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
4.1%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Virginia Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Virginia median of $63,450 sits below the national median of $66,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 0.95 puts Virginia slightly below the national average, so the occupation is a little less common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Drafting demand follows the region’s architecture, engineering and construction firms and its active project pipeline, so it tracks local building activity closely.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do architectural and civil drafters make in Virginia?
The median annual wage for architectural and civil drafters in Virginia is $63,450, below the national median of $66,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $53,940 at the 25th percentile to $76,800 at the 75th.
How many architectural and civil drafters work in Virginia?
Virginia holds about 2,600 drafter jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 103,700, and BLS projects about 10,000 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a drafter in Virginia?
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. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with the employers and design firms you are targeting before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn an associate degree in drafting or design technology online while working in Virginia?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies the employers and design firms you are targeting.
What is the highest-paying area of Virginia for architectural and civil drafters?
Among Virginia metro areas with published data, Blacksburg reports the highest median at $63,770 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Virginia a good state for architectural and civil drafters?
On pay, the state median of $63,450 sits below the national $66,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.95 means the occupation is less concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
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/.
