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The differences between civil designers and computer aided design designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a civil designer, becoming a computer aided design designer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a computer aided design designer has an average salary of $60,150, which is higher than the $58,421 average annual salary of a civil designer.
The top three skills for a civil designer include civil 3d, autocad and civil engineering. The most important skills for a computer aided design designer are auto cad, revit, and aided design.
| Civil Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,421 | $60,150 |
| Hourly rate | $28.09 | $28.92 |
| Growth rate | 7% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 57,036 | 92,503 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A Civil Designer plans, scales, and drafts drawings and maps for roads, bridges, and other construction projects. They work with engineers and project managers in determining material, labor, and other costs of the assigned projects.
A computer-aided design (CAD) designer is responsible for creating plan outlines and project designs for a specific business need. A CAD designer utilizes various technologies and software applications to generate graphic illustrations. CAD designers must have strong knowledge of the technology designs, software management, engineering standards, and the construction industry fundamentals. CAD designers label their works with appropriate dimensions and specifications, performing necessary adjustments to meet the clients' needs. A CAD designer requires excellent critical-thinking and analytical skills to manage design structures and creative solutions.
Civil designers and computer aided design designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Civil Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Average salary | $58,421 | $60,150 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $81,000 | Between $40,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Walnut Creek, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a civil designer and a computer aided design designer in terms of educational background:
| Civil Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 44% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | LeTourneau University |
Here are the differences between civil designers' and computer aided design designers' demographics:
| Civil Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |