Draughtspersons: Jobs in Demand in Europe (2025)
Draughtspersons is an official occupation group (ISCO-08 code 3118) used by the International Labour Organization and Eurostat.
- Draughtsperson
- Technical illustrator
Pay in the UK for this job
UK occupation used: CAD, drawing and architectural technicians (SOC 2020 code 3120). Placeivo matched this to ISCO-08 3118 by job title and duties; the UK and international occupation lists do not line up exactly. National figure for the whole United Kingdom, in pounds sterling (GBP), before income tax and National Insurance.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional, Table 14 (occupation by 4-digit SOC 2020): tables 14.7a (annual pay, gross) and 14.1a (weekly pay, gross), full-time employee jobs, United Kingdom. Weekly pay is for April 2025; annual pay is for the tax year ending 5 April 2025, employees in the same job for at least a year. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
UK Skilled Worker visa for this job
This occupation (UK code 3120, CAD, drawing and architectural technicians) is a medium-skilled job. GOV.UK says a new visa for a medium-skilled job is usually possible only if the job is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, with their own conditions; some people extending a visa they already hold have different rules. Check both lists before applying. GOV.UK says the lower going rate applies if you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa in certain occupations, or got the certificate of sponsorship for your first Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024 and have held one ever since. Going rates are for a 37.5-hour week and are pro-rated for other hours. Placeivo matched this UK code to ISCO-08 3118 by job title; the lists do not line up exactly.
This is a summary of official rules, not legal advice. Rules change and some people (for example those already on a Skilled Worker visa) have different rules. Always check GOV.UK before you apply.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration, GOV.UK tables "Skilled Worker visa: eligible occupations and codes" and "Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes", updated 2025-07-22, retrieved 2026-10-15. General minimum salary from GOV.UK "Skilled Worker visa: Your job", checked 2026-10-15.
Compare UK visa going rates by job · Eligible occupations (GOV.UK) · Going rates (GOV.UK) · Salary rules (GOV.UK)
Latest draughtspersons job ads
Real vacancies from the official public employment services, updated daily. Job titles are translated into English automatically; the full ad opens on the official site in German or Swedish (your browser's translate button turns it into English).
Germany
1,420 open ads- Technical draughtsperson
German title: Technischer Zeichner
Die Jobmacher GmbH · Oldenburg (Oldb) · Posted 2026-10-19 - Technical draughtsperson
German title: Technischer Zeichner
Start NRW GmbH Standort Troisdorf · Hennef (Sieg) · Posted 2026-10-19 - Technical draughtsperson
German title: Technischer Zeichner
Hays Professional Solutions GmbH Standort Frankfurt · Herborn, Hessen · Posted 2026-10-07 - Technical draughtsperson
German title: Technischer Zeichner
DEKRA Arbeit GmbH · Neustadt-Glewe · Posted 2026-10-16 - Technical draughtsperson
German title: Technischer Zeichner
Orizon GmbH, Unit Aviation · Kiel · Posted 2026-10-16 - Technical draughtsperson
German title: Technischer Zeichner
CONNECT Personal-Service GmbH · Karlsruhe, Baden · Posted 2026-10-15
Source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (German Federal Employment Agency). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Germany
Sweden
25 open ads- GIS Engineer
Swedish title: GIS-ingenjör
Stockholm Vatten AB · Stockholm · Posted 2026-10-16 - 3D geodata engineer
Swedish title: Geodataingenjör med inriktning mot 3D
Helsingborgs kommun · Helsingborg · Posted 2026-10-16 - Measurement Technician | Gävle
Swedish title: Mättekniker | Gävle
Jobway AB · Gävle · Posted 2026-10-16 - Metrology
Swedish title: Mättekniker
Jobway AB · Borlänge · Posted 2026-10-16 - Measuring Technician Land Facility Stockholm
Swedish title: Mätningstekniker Mark anläggning Stockholm
Bemanning Sverige Byrå AB · Stockholm · Posted 2026-10-15 - Measuring Technician Land Facility Stockholm
Swedish title: Mätningstekniker Mark anläggning Stockholm
Rekrytering Stockholm Byrå AB · Stockholm · Posted 2026-10-15
Source: Arbetsförmedlingen (Swedish Public Employment Service). Ads are written by employers; Placeivo does not check them. See all ads in Sweden
Where draughtspersons are needed in Europe
| Country | EURES 2025 | Average gross pay, all technicians and associate professionals (2022) | 1-bed rent in the capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | Shortage | €4,368 a month * | Brussels: €1,150 |
| Bulgaria | Shortage | €966 a month | Sofia: €650 |
| Denmark | Shortage | €5,731 a month * | Copenhagen: €1,800 |
| France | Shortage | €2,918 a month * | Paris: €1,550 |
| Italy | Shortage | €3,001 a month * | Rome: €1,300 |
| Netherlands | Shortage | €3,769 a month | Not yet verified |
| Austria | Surplus | €3,816 a month * | Vienna: €1,250 |
| Finland | Surplus | €3,684 a month * | Helsinki: €1,150 |
| Latvia | Surplus | €1,618 a month | Riga: €870 |
| Portugal | Surplus | €1,723 a month * | Lisbon: €1,400 |
| Romania | Surplus | €1,292 a month * | Not yet verified |
| Sweden | Surplus | €3,915 a month * | Stockholm: €2,100 |
Pay: Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey 2022, mean gross monthly earnings of all technicians and associate professionals in each country, in euros. This is the average for the whole occupation group, not for draughtspersons alone, and before tax. * Firms with 10 or more employees only. Rent: Eurostat, good-quality 1-bedroom flat in the capital, 2025.
What draughtspersons do
Draughtspersons prepare technical drawings, maps and illustrations from sketches, measurements and other data, and copy final drawings and paintings onto printing plates.
Typical tasks
- Preparing and revising working drawings from sketches and specifications prepared by engineers and designers for the manufacture, installation and erection of machinery and equipment or for the construction, modification, maintenance and repair of buildings, dams, bridges, roads and other architectural and civil engineering projects
- Operating computer-aided design and drafting equipment to create, modify and generate hard-copy and digital representations of working drawings
- Operating digitizing table or similar equipment to transfer hard-copy representation of working drawings, maps and other curves to digital form
- Preparing and revising illustrations for reference works, brochures and technical manuals dealing with the assembly, installation, operation, maintenance and repair of machinery and other equipment and goods
- Copying drawings and paintings onto stone or metal plates for printing
- Preparing wiring diagrams, circuit board assembly diagrams and layout drawings used for manufacture, installation and repair of electrical equipment in factories, power plants, and buildings
- Creating detailed working diagrams of machinery and mechanical devices, including dimensions, fastening methods and other engineering information
- Arranging for completed drawings to be reproduced for use as working drawings
Finding draughtspersons jobs in Europe
- EURES is the official job portal of the EU public employment services. The search above looks for "Draughtsperson".
- Some jobs are regulated professions: before you can work, your qualification may need to be recognised in the new country.
- If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you will usually need a work permit or a visa such as the EU Blue Card. Check the rules of the country's immigration authority.
Cost of living where the jobs are
Take-home pay needed to rent a good 1-bedroom flat in the capitals of countries reporting a shortage:
About this data
- Shortage and surplus: European Labour Authority, EURES Report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annex table 21 (published 2026). Each country's public employment service reports which occupations it finds hard to fill or in oversupply. Countries not listed did not report this occupation as either.
- Definition, tasks and job titles: International Labour Organization, ISCO-08 structure and definitions.
- Pay: Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022 (earn_ses22_48), by occupation group. United Kingdom, closest UK occupation: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (median pay of full-time employees).
- Job ads: Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Germany) and Arbetsförmedlingen (Sweden), refreshed about once a day.