First principles study on ground state properties and electronic structure of binary cadmium based rare earth intermetallics have been carried out using the full–potential linearized augmented plane wave method (FP-LAPW) within density functional theory (DFT). Results on structural properties are obtained using generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and local density approximation (LSDA). The equilibrium lattice parameter (a0), bulk modulus (B), its pressure derivative (B') and magnetic moment (µB) have been obtained using optimization method. Our calculated results agree well with available experimental results. From band structure and density of state calculations, it is found that both NdCd and SmCd exhibits metallic behavior. Density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level (EF) for NdCd and SmCd for majority spin is found to be 8.44 and 10.25 states/eV, while for minority spin 0.50 and 0.581 states/eV values are calculated respectively for NdCd and SmCd. This is the first prediction of electronic spectra of NdCd and SmCd intermetallics.