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The differences between design drafters and autocad drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a design drafter, becoming an autocad drafter takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a design drafter has an average salary of $50,021, which is higher than the $41,984 average annual salary of an autocad drafter.
The top three skills for a design drafter include layout drawings, auto cad and engineering drawings. The most important skills for an autocad drafter are construction drawings, layout drawings, and revit.
| Design Drafter | Autocad Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $50,021 | $41,984 |
| Hourly rate | $24.05 | $20.18 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 39,125 | 2,429 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A design drafter is responsible for creating a technical draft of the architects' and engineers' designs using various software applications. Design drafters analyze schematics and blueprints and compare the specifications to the draft, ensuring all the features' accuracy. They review structural details and perform adjustments based on the building techniques standards. A design drafter must have excellent knowledge with the engineering disciplines, as well as manufacturing processes to determine dimensions and minimize material costs without compromising the construction quality.
An Autocad Drafter develops drawings and plans for the construction and manufacturing industries. They use various types of computer-aided design and drafting software.
Design drafters and autocad drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Drafter | Autocad Drafter | |
| Average salary | $50,021 | $41,984 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $67,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Garfield, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | GPAC |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Government |
There are a few differences between a design drafter and an autocad drafter in terms of educational background:
| Design Drafter | Autocad Drafter | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | LeTourneau University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between design drafters' and autocad drafters' demographics:
| Design Drafter | Autocad Drafter | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |