Building drafter vs architectural drafter

The differences between building drafters and architectural drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a building drafter and an architectural drafter. Additionally, a building drafter has an average salary of $53,715, which is higher than the $49,944 average annual salary of an architectural drafter.

The top three skills for a building drafter include autocad, and . The most important skills for an architectural drafter are revit, construction drawings, and architectural drawings.

Building drafter vs architectural drafter overview

	Building Drafter	Architectural Drafter
Yearly salary	$53,715	$49,944
Hourly rate	$25.82	$24.01
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	6,879	7,139
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 45%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Building drafter vs architectural drafter salary

Building drafters and architectural drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Building Drafter	Architectural Drafter
Average salary	$53,715	$49,944
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $79,000	Between $37,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Rhode Island
Best paying company	-	Rafael Viñoly Architects
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between building drafter and architectural drafter education

There are a few differences between a building drafter and an architectural drafter in terms of educational background:

	Building Drafter	Architectural Drafter
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 33%	Associate Degree, 45%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Carnegie Mellon University

Building drafter vs architectural drafter demographics

Here are the differences between building drafters' and architectural drafters' demographics:

	Building Drafter	Architectural Drafter
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%	Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between building drafter and architectural drafter duties and responsibilities

Building drafter example responsibilities.

Learned and utilize AutoCAD by practicing several drawing types from restaurants to hotels.
Render complete assemblies of conveyor systems to customer's specifications using SolidWorks.
Utilize extensive skills in CADD technology, complement by construction industry expertise to provide tailor designs meeting customer needs.

Architectural drafter example responsibilities.

Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
Prepare plumbing schematics and as-built.
Utilize AutoCAD 2005 and MicroStation V8.
Operate Microstation SE and Microstation V8.
Demonstrate expertise in building code, lighting, MEP.
Translate the client's briefs into sketch plans for client approval.

Building drafter vs architectural drafter skills

Common building drafter skills

Autocad, 100%

Common architectural drafter skills

Revit, 28%
Construction Drawings, 11%
Architectural Drawings, 7%
Shop Drawings, 6%
Sketch, 6%
Building Codes, 6%

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Building Drafter vs Architectural Drafter

Updated January 8, 2025

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