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The differences between design drafters and design checkers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a design drafter and a design checker. Additionally, a design checker has an average salary of $75,126, which is higher than the $50,021 average annual salary of a design drafter.
The top three skills for a design drafter include layout drawings, auto cad and engineering drawings. The most important skills for a design checker are GD, engineering drawings, and creo.
| Design Drafter | Design Checker | |
| Yearly salary | $50,021 | $75,126 |
| Hourly rate | $24.05 | $36.12 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 39,125 | 42,876 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A design checker takes responsibility for the examination of engineering drawings of installations, assemblies, and parts to ensure completeness and accuracy. Design checkers review the drawings to check the application of geometric tolerances, the appropriate manufacturing details, and the best drafting practices. They are tasked to detect discrepancies or errors within the 3D design documents. It is their duty to annotate necessary changes and communicate with colleagues on how to come up with a better design.
Design drafters and design checkers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Drafter | Design Checker | |
| Average salary | $50,021 | $75,126 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $67,000 | Between $50,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a design drafter and a design checker in terms of educational background:
| Design Drafter | Design Checker | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 56% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | LeTourneau University | LeTourneau University |
Here are the differences between design drafters' and design checkers' demographics:
| Design Drafter | Design Checker | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% | Male, 92.1% Female, 7.9% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |