Hit 5000 hours in AutoCAD last week and it weirdly hit me hard

I was just checking my file log to find an old revision and noticed the counter ticked over to 5042 total hours in AutoCAD over the last 3 years. That's like 2.5 full years of 40 hour weeks just staring at that blue screen drawing lines. I started at a little shop in Tulsa doing basic floor plans and now I'm managing whole commercial sets, but seeing that number made me realize how much time I've actually spent behind the keyboard. Has anyone else ever looked at their total drafting hours and gotten weird about it?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimr916h ago

That number is wild when you think about it. I actually read a study not too long ago that said the average drafter spends about 80% of their career in front of a screen, which sounds about right. 5000 hours is serious time, but it's also proof you've mastered the software in a way most people never will. It's crazy how those little lines add up to whole buildings and systems. Made me check my own stats and I was kind of stunned too.

fionanguyen2h ago

Used to think it was just repetitive work, but seeing it put like that totally flipped my view. 5000 hours of anything is basically a whole skill set, not just time wasted. Kinda makes you respect the craft more, you know?

kai8395h ago

Good catch @kimr91, but I think that 80% stat might be off since most drafters still do site visits and meetings. That 5000 hours is wild though, you ever wonder what else you couldve done with all that time?