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Computer aided drafter vs draftsman/designer

The differences between computer aided drafters and draftsman/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 computer aided drafter and a draftsman/designer. Additionally, a draftsman/designer has an average salary of $52,529, which is higher than the $43,520 average annual salary of a computer aided drafter.

The top three skills for a computer aided drafter include cad standards, revit and aided design. The most important skills for a draftsman/designer are design layouts, solidworks, and shop drawings.

Computer aided drafter vs draftsman/designer overview

Computer Aided DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Yearly salary$43,520$52,529
Hourly rate$20.92$25.25
Growth rate-3%-3%
Number of jobs16,90747,341
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 52%Associate Degree, 51%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

Computer aided drafter vs draftsman/designer salary

Computer aided drafters and draftsman/designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Computer Aided DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Average salary$43,520$52,529
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $57,000Between $30,000 And $89,000
Highest paying CityKearny, NJWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew JerseyNew Jersey
Best paying companyJohnson ControlsTalentBurst
Best paying industryProfessionalTechnology

Differences between computer aided drafter and draftsman/designer education

There are a few differences between a computer aided drafter and a draftsman/designer in terms of educational background:

Computer Aided DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 52%Associate Degree, 51%
Most common majorDrafting And DesignDrafting And Design
Most common collegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University

Computer aided drafter vs draftsman/designer demographics

Here are the differences between computer aided drafters' and draftsman/designers' demographics:

Computer Aided DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 74.2% Female, 25.8%Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between computer aided drafter and draftsman/designer duties and responsibilities

Computer aided drafter example responsibilities.

  • Clean up architectural drawings to bare walls, convert layers and add masonry reinforcements to walls, doors and windows.
  • Used VBA to program business tools.
  • Create detail blue prints for jigs to be build for production.
  • Translate REVIT (BIM) files into AutoCAD-ready files from contract architect.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations to introduce the flows of the conveyor belt systems.
  • Conduct field and sketch analysis to determine the most effective approach for plan development.
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Draftsman/designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and supervise other draftsmen.
  • Assist with structural steel detailing, machine design, CNC graphics and ceramics machine design projects.
  • Detail preliminary design drawings to create BOM's, production use shop layouts, and specific details.
  • Travele to various work sites to dimension and sketch details of the projects.
  • Develop and maintain current Revit templates for consistency and overall visual quality of projects.
  • Design and draft building components from red lines create by MEP engineers with revit software.
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Computer aided drafter vs draftsman/designer skills

Common computer aided drafter skills
  • CAD Standards, 9%
  • Revit, 7%
  • Aided Design, 6%
  • CAD Drawings, 5%
  • Shop Drawings, 4%
  • Autocad Release, 4%
Common draftsman/designer skills
  • Design Layouts, 16%
  • Solidworks, 10%
  • Shop Drawings, 5%
  • R, 4%
  • HVAC, 4%
  • Customer Specifications, 3%

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