Computer aided drafter vs senior drafter

The differences between computer aided drafters and senior 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 computer aided drafter and a senior drafter. Additionally, a senior drafter has an average salary of $44,988, 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 senior drafter are autocad, layout drawings, and cad standards.

Computer aided drafter vs senior drafter overview

	Computer Aided Drafter	Senior Drafter
Yearly salary	$43,520	$44,988
Hourly rate	$20.92	$21.63
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	16,907	3,189
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 52%	Associate Degree, 61%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Computer aided drafter vs senior drafter salary

Computer aided drafters and senior drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Computer Aided Drafter	Senior Drafter
Average salary	$43,520	$44,988
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $57,000	Between $33,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	Kearny, NJ	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	Johnson Controls	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between computer aided drafter and senior drafter education

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

	Computer Aided Drafter	Senior Drafter
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 52%	Associate Degree, 61%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Carnegie Mellon University

Computer aided drafter vs senior drafter demographics

Here are the differences between computer aided drafters' and senior drafters' demographics:

	Computer Aided Drafter	Senior Drafter
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8%	Male, 75.4% Female, 24.6%
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 computer aided drafter and senior drafter 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.

Senior drafter example responsibilities.

Manage the design history of 3D part models, assemblies, and drawings using PDM software.
Produce design and construction drawings electrical and HVAC departments for commercial and residential projects per applicable national codes and regulations.
Create BIM design from concept.
Detail and draft structures in Revit.
Maintain an engineering change notice (ECN) system.
Design HVAC and plumbing layouts on existing architectural xrefs.

Computer aided drafter vs senior drafter skills

Common computer aided drafter skills

CAD Standards, 9%
Revit, 7%
Aided Design, 6%
CAD Drawings, 5%
Shop Drawings, 4%
Autocad Release, 4%

Common senior drafter skills

Autocad, 25%
Layout Drawings, 7%
CAD Standards, 5%
Engineering Drawings, 4%
Aided Design, 4%
Revit, 4%

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Computer Aided Drafter
Computer Aided Drafter vs Senior Drafter

Updated January 8, 2025

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