NOC 22212: Drafting technologists and technicians
What drafting technologists and technicians do
Drafting technologists and technicians prepare engineering designs, drawings and related technical information, such as building information models (BIM), in multidisciplinary engineering teams or in support of engineers, architects or industrial designers, or they may work independently. They are employed by consulting and construction companies, utility, resource and manufacturing companies, all levels of government and by a wide range of other establishments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Drafting technologists
- Develop and prepare engineering designs and drawings from preliminary concepts, sketches, engineering calculations, specification sheets and other data
- Create building information models (BIM), using computer software, to provide digital representations of physical and functional aspects of buildings and other engineering projects
- Operate computer-assisted design (CAD) and drafting workstations
- Develop and prepare design sketches
- Complete documentation packages and produce drawing sets
- Check and verify design drawings to conform to specifications and design data
- Write technical reports
- Prepare contracts and tender documents
- Prepare construction specifications, costs and material estimates
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians and drafters.
- Drafting technicians
- Develop and prepare engineering drawings, plans, diagrams or layouts from sketches
- Operate computer-assisted drafting equipment or a conventional drafting station.
Job titles under NOC 22212
80 job titles are classified here, including architectural draftsperson, building information modelling (BIM) technologist, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) technologist.
- aeronautical draftsperson
- air conditioning systems draftsperson
- architectural draftsperson
- building information modelling (BIM) coordinator
- building information modelling (BIM) designer
- building information modelling (BIM) specialist
- building information modelling (BIM) technician
- building information modelling (BIM) technologist
- building systems draftsperson
- chief draftsperson
- civil draftsperson
- commercial draftsperson
- computer-aided design (CAD) specialist - drafting
- computer-aided design (CAD) technologist
- computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) technologist
- computer-aided drafting (CAD) technician
- computer-assisted design and drafting (CADD) operator
- computer-assisted drafting (CAD) draftsperson - printed circuit boards
- computer-assisted drafting (CAD) operator
- computer-assisted drafting (CAD) technician
- computer-assisted electromechanical design draftsperson
- design and drafting technologist
- design draftsperson
- design technician - drafting
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a two- to three-year college program in engineering design and drafting technology or in a related field is usually required for drafting and design technologists.
- Completion of a one- to two-year college program in drafting or completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or four to five years of related experience plus completion of college or industry courses in drafting are usually required for drafting technicians.
- Trade certification for draftspersons is available, but voluntary in Ontario.
- Certification in engineering design and drafting technology or in a related field through provincial associations of engineering/applied science technologists and technicians may be required by employers.
- A period of supervised work experience, usually two years, is required before certification.
Drafting technologists and technicians wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $21.50/hr | $31.79/hr | $48.38/hr |
Toronto ON | $23.08/hr | $32.50/hr | $45.45/hr |
Montréal QC | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $41.35/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $20.00/hr | $32.21/hr | $52.88/hr |
Calgary AB | $22.00/hr | $33.65/hr | $50.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $24.30/hr | $35.73/hr | $51.81/hr |
Ottawa ON | $22.35/hr | $33.10/hr | $47.61/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $18.00/hr | $31.00/hr | $50.90/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $21.00/hr | $29.81/hr | $42.31/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $21.00/hr | $32.05/hr | $75.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $21.70/hr | $31.34/hr | $43.91/hr |
London ON | $23.58/hr | $31.94/hr | $42.05/hr |
Halifax NS | $19.99/hr | $30.63/hr | $43.49/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $24.74/hr | $34.18/hr | $46.29/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $23.87/hr | $35.34/hr | $46.86/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $25.13/hr | $35.69/hr | $47.59/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $25.00/hr | $36.00/hr | $56.73/hr |
Nova Scotia | $19.63/hr | $29.85/hr | $45.01/hr |
New Brunswick | $23.32/hr | $30.00/hr | $40.11/hr |
Quebec | $21.00/hr | $29.81/hr | $42.31/hr |
Ontario | $20.00/hr | $31.25/hr | $48.08/hr |
Manitoba | $22.00/hr | $30.03/hr | $48.56/hr |
Saskatchewan | $23.47/hr | $35.78/hr | $48.98/hr |
Alberta | $25.48/hr | $36.00/hr | $53.85/hr |
British Columbia | $20.00/hr | $33.65/hr | $51.00/hr |
Using NOC 22212 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 80 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Architectural design technologist (NOC 22210)
- Civil engineering design technologist (NOC 22300)
- Electrical engineering design technologist (NOC 22310)
- Electronics engineering design technologist (NOC 22310)
- Industrial designers (NOC 22211)
- Mechanical engineering design technologist (NOC 22301)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for drafting technologists and technicians?
Drafting technologists and technicians are NOC 2021 unit group 22212. Example job titles in this group include architectural draftsperson, building information modelling (BIM) technologist, computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) technologist, computer-assisted drafting (CAD) technician.
What TEER is NOC 22212?
NOC 22212 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do drafting technologists and technicians earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $31.79/hr, about $62,000 a year full-time, with a range of $21.50/hr to $48.38/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.