Computer Aided Design - Mechanical
De Anza College, Occupational Training Institute · Cupertino, CA
- Cost
- $5,272
- Length
- 52 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 3,080
- Finished the program
- 93%Based on 3,921 people
- Working 6 months later
- 9%
- Earnings in one quarter after
- $14,747A single quarter of earnings, roughly three months, not a yearly salary. Do not compare it directly with the yearly pay shown for the occupation.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Shrinking -10%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
No regional figures for this program's city
Cupertino is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Architectural and Civil Drafters
Job ads may call this: Draftsman · Draftsperson · Civil Drafter · Drafting Technician
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Produce drawings, using computer-assisted drafting systems (CAD) or drafting machines, or by hand, using compasses, dividers, protractors, triangles, and other drafting devices.
- Draft plans and detailed drawings for structures, installations, and construction projects, such as highways, sewage disposal systems, and dikes, working from sketches or notes.
- Coordinate structural, electrical, and mechanical designs and determine a method of presentation to graphically represent building plans.
- Analyze building codes, by-laws, space and site requirements, and other technical documents and reports to determine their effect on architectural designs.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Draw maps, diagrams, and profiles, using cross-sections and surveys, to represent elevations, topographical contours, subsurface formations, and structures.
- Lay out and plan interior room arrangements for commercial buildings, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment and software.
- Supervise and train other technologists, technicians, and drafters.
- Determine the order of work and method of presentation, such as orthographic or isometric drawing.
- Typical pay in California
- $78,662per year
- Projected openings
- 10,740
- Projected change
- +7%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 32% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 40% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 1%
- High school diploma
- 10%
- Started college, no degree
- 29%
- Two-year degree
- 32%
- Four-year degree
- 23%
- Master's degree
- 5%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.7%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job.
Electrical and Electronics Drafters
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Drafter · Designer · Layout Designer · Staking Engineer
- Draft detail and assembly drawings of design components, circuitry or printed circuit boards, using computer-assisted equipment or standard drafting techniques and devices.
- Draft working drawings, wiring diagrams, wiring connection specifications, or cross-sections of underground cables, as required for instructions to installation crew.
- Assemble documentation packages and produce drawing sets to be checked by an engineer or an architect.
- Review completed construction drawings and cost estimates for accuracy and conformity to standards and regulations.
Show 3 more things this job involves
- Consult with engineers to discuss or interpret design concepts, or determine requirements of detailed working drawings.
- Confer with engineering staff and other personnel to resolve problems.
- Measure factors that affect installation and arrangement of equipment, such as distances to be spanned by wire and cable.
- Typical pay in California
- $80,502per year
- Projected openings
- 2,120
- Projected change
- -10%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 35% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 40% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 2%
- High school diploma
- 12%
- Started college, no degree
- 26%
- Two-year degree
- 35%
- Four-year degree
- 20%
- Master's degree
- 4%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.9%
Mechanical Drafters
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Drafter · Design Drafter · Product Designer · Project Designer
- Develop detailed design drawings and specifications for mechanical equipment, dies, tools, and controls, using computer-assisted drafting (CAD) equipment.
- Produce three-dimensional models, using computer-aided design (CAD) software.
- Lay out and draw schematic, orthographic, or angle views to depict functional relationships of components, assemblies, systems, and machines.
- Modify and revise designs to correct operating deficiencies or to reduce production problems.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Review and analyze specifications, sketches, drawings, ideas, and related data to assess factors affecting component designs and the procedures and instructions to be followed.
- Check dimensions of materials to be used and assign numbers to the materials.
- Design scale or full-size blueprints of specialty items, such as furniture and automobile body or chassis components.
- Compute mathematical formulas to develop and design detailed specifications for components or machinery, using computer-assisted equipment.
- Typical pay in California
- $84,820per year
- Projected openings
- 3,040
- Projected change
- -5.1%
- Usually needs
- Associate's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Two-year degree — 35% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Associate's degree. 40% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 2%
- High school diploma
- 12%
- Started college, no degree
- 26%
- Two-year degree
- 35%
- Four-year degree
- 20%
- Master's degree
- 4%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.9%
Program details
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
Valuable as a skills upgrade or comprehensiveintroduction for newcomers, participation in this De Anza College program provides students with knowledge about Creo Parametric and SolidWorks design software programs in order to produce their drawings, designs, and models. Hands-on experience is integrated heavily into theclasses. Computer lab time in addition to class time is available each week for students to complete assignments and review past assignments attheir own pace. The program prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to develop working drawings and electronic simulations in support of mechanical and industrial engineers, andrelated professionals. Includes instruction in manufacturing materialsand processes, mechanical drafting, electrode- mechanical drafting,basic metallurgy, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, blueprint reading, and technical communication.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
NOVAworksComprehensive center
Phone: 408-730-7232
456 W. Olive AvenueSunnyvale City HallSunnyvale, CA 94086about 5.7 miles away
Hours: Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
North San Jose America`s Job Center of CaliforniaAffiliate site
Phone: 408-216-6200
1901 Zanker RoadSan Jose, CA 95112about 11.1 miles away
Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Has a veterans' representative
San Jose Job CenterComprehensive center
Phone: 408-794-1101
1608 Las Plumas AvenueWork2Future-Silicon Workforce Development BoardSan Jose, CA 95133about 12.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 8a-5p
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →