Chief drafter vs architectural designer

The differences between chief drafters and architectural designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a chief drafter and an architectural designer. Additionally, an architectural designer has an average salary of $59,122, which is higher than the $48,281 average annual salary of a chief drafter.

The top three skills for a chief drafter include autocad, design criteria and . The most important skills for an architectural designer are sketch, sketchup, and BIM.

Chief drafter vs architectural designer overview

	Chief Drafter	Architectural Designer
Yearly salary	$48,281	$59,122
Hourly rate	$23.21	$28.42
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	14,855	54,358
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Chief drafter vs architectural designer salary

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

	Chief Drafter	Architectural Designer
Average salary	$48,281	$59,122
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $68,000	Between $45,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	-	Vermont
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between chief drafter and architectural designer education

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

	Chief Drafter	Architectural Designer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Architecture
Most common college	Georgia Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chief drafter vs architectural designer demographics

Here are the differences between chief drafters' and architectural designers' demographics:

	Chief Drafter	Architectural Designer
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 100.0% Female, 0.0%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
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 chief drafter and architectural designer duties and responsibilities

Chief drafter example responsibilities.

Manage the design history of 3D part models, assemblies, and drawings using PDM software.
Develop, organize and maintain AutoCAD standards for designers to use resulting in efficient production and time management.
Update stock plans as necessary according to AMDA standards.

Architectural designer example responsibilities.

Manage in- house projects and AutoCAD drawings.
Manage design and coordinate construction of grind up, interior finish, conversions and remodel projects.
Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
Submit drawings to OSHPD for approval.
Submit & review OSHPD back check comments.
Participate in sustainable practices for leer certified projects.

Chief drafter vs architectural designer skills

Common chief drafter skills

Autocad, 72%
Design Criteria, 28%

Common architectural designer skills

Sketch, 15%
SketchUp, 7%
BIM, 6%
Architectural Design, 6%
Building Codes, 5%
Construction Drawings, 4%