Computer-aided design is a fast-growing segment of the job market. Nearly every industry uses CAD in some way to grow and develop their business. This has created a competitive market for those who have CAD skills as well as high pay.
The industries with the greatest demand include the medical industry, media, architecture services, and manufacturing. As technology continues to advance, the demand for these jobs is only going to grow. If you love working with CAD software and are ready to pick out a career, here are some of the highest paying jobs in CAD this year.
Electrical Engineer
| 2018 Median Pay | $99,070 per year $47.63 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-Job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 324,600 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 7% (As fast as average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 21,300 |
Electrical engineers design new types of electrical systems. This could involve anything from handheld devices like cellphones to supercomputers used by NASA. There’s currently a huge demand for electrical engineers, especially in new and growing industries such as renewable energy and GPS technologies.
The electrical field is surprisingly broad, involving almost any communication system. Best of all, it is the highest paying of all jobs involving CAD software.
Biomedical Engineer
| 2018 Median Pay | $88,550 per year $42.57 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-Job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 21,300 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 7% (As fast as average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 1,500 |
If you have a passion for helping people, but don’t enjoy getting the sniffles from your patients, working as a biomedical engineer may be the right job for you. Biomedical engineers create new medical devices to help those in need.
This includes both new types of technologies as well as custom fits for old technologies, such as prosthetics. Using a CAD program, biomedical engineers can create legs for athletes that will allow them to compete again.
Being able to shape the future of the medical industry is an exciting and powerful job. If you’re hoping to give back, this could be a great career for you.
Civil Engineer
| 2018 Median Pay | $86,640 per year $41.65 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-Job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 303,500 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 11% (Faster than average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 32,200 |
Civil engineers have an active hand in the development of cities. Infrastructure is the life force of our nation, and shaping its direction is one of the most monumental things a person can do. CAD software has rapidly become an essential part of city planning, helping to spot potential hazards before construction is underway.
Many cities have a personality all their own, from the one-way streets and narrow sidewalks of Seattle, to the breezy city of Chicago, you’ll find challenges to work with wherever you go.
Architect
| 2018 Median Pay | $79,380 per year $38.16 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-Job Training | Internship/residency |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 128,800 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 4% (Slower than average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 5,500 |
While civil engineers look at the whole picture, architects focus on individual buildings. Whether this means designing a dream home or building an incredible skyscraper, architects have an active hand in the design and creation of new buildings.
If you’ve ever admired the beautiful architecture of an old church or the cutting edge structure of a Las Vegas hotel, you may enjoy having an active hand in creating new buildings like these through becoming an architect.
This industry is somewhat competitive. Architects that look to the future and use cutting edge technologies are more likely to succeed than those that use older techniques. You may find it easier to get a job in a firm if you have CAD training, cutting out the competition for those job spots by being better educated.
Customers love being able to see what their buildings will look like in advance, and if you have the skills it takes to present them with a 3D model of their building, you’ll have the edge you need to be the best in the industry.
Multimedia Artist
| 2018 Median Pay | $72,520 per year $34.87 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-Job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 73,700 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 8% (As fast as average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 6,200 |
New movies ranging from children’s stories such as Moana all the way up to the spectacular dragons in Game of Thrones are created with the help of multimedia artists. These artists use CAD software to help them create and design these characters.
Becoming a multimedia artist is an excellent choice for those with a passion for art who want to have an active hand in the creation of the movies and video games they love.
Multimedia artists aren’t just limited to movies and video games. Multimedia artists are needed for a surprisingly large number of fields, including everything from mascot creation to comic books, and even logos.
If you prefer to freelance, multimedia artists have some of the best opportunities available. Whether you want to go it alone or get hired with big business, if you have an artistic flair, becoming a multimedia artist could be the right job for you.
Industrial Designer
| 2018 Median Pay | $66,590 per year $32.01 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-Job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 39,700 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 4% (Slower than average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 1,800 |
New products often require CAD programs to help them decide for certain what a new product should look like before it hits store shelves. This could mean anything from inventing something completely new to redesigning an old product to look or function better.
This field is exciting because there are so many possibilities within the field. One day you could be making a toaster look sleeker and the next you’re designing possible ways to keep a dog bowl from sliding across the floor.
Industrial designers are needed in a broad number of different businesses, so if you like variety, this may be a good job for you.
Drafter
| 2018 Median Pay | $55,550 per year $26.71 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Associate’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-Job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 207,700 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 7% (As fast as average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 14,600 |
Behind every new creation is a drafter who drew up the blueprints for it. Everything from the tiniest of microchips to the largest of skyscrapers originally started with a set of blueprints that gave the manufacturers and contractors the instructions they need to get the job done. Drafters work hand in hand with architects and other workers to create the technical designs needed for a new project.
Model Maker
| 2018 Median Pay | $54,820 per year $26.35 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Associate’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | Preferred |
| On-the-Job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 5,210 |
One of the lesser known jobs that utilize CAD software, model making is a possible career option for CAD designers. Model makers create a 3D representation of various projects.
This could be a model of a character for a video game, a figurine, or a small scale model of a house. Model makers tend to focus on creating a physical copy of the product and often use a 3D printer and CAD software to make their projects complete.
Interior Designer
| 2018 Median Pay | $53,370 per year $25.66 per hour |
| Typical Entry-Level Education | Bachelor’s degree |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation | None |
| On-the-job Training | None |
| Number of Jobs, 2016 | 66,500 |
| Job Outlook, 2016-26 | 4% (Slower than average) |
| Employment Change, 2016-26 | 2,900 |
Without an interior designer, even the most beautiful of buildings can look drab and boring. A great interior designer makes the luxury apartments luxurious, a home feel like it has been remodeled, or a house that’s being flipped that much more valuable.
Some interior designers have even reached celebrity status, with thousands of admirers watching their every makeover with avid fascination.
CAD software is a wonderful tool for interior designers because it helps give the customers a chance to see what a room might look like before it’s already been changed. Customers love being able to tour their potential makeover before they’ve had it done, and in this highly competitive field, more people are trying it.
No matter what you want to do for a living, learning CAD may end up being a useful part of it. Learning CAD can help you show your clients what you will create for them, help you create new products for your own business, or simply make your resume more dazzling.
If you’ve been thinking about a career in CAD, you may find one of these high paying jobs an enjoyable field to work in.
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