What does a design engineer/drafter do?
Design engineer/drafter responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real design engineer/drafter resumes:
- Create editable 3D model of the given dumb solid surface using GSD and part modelling in CATIA V5 and SolidWorks.
- Prepare HVAC drawings with AutoCAD for field installations.
- Create ECR/ECN's for mass assemblies/bill of materials (BOM).
- Create and maintain BOM, specifications, assembly procedures and test data.
- Generate vector graphics for the purpose of producing the tool paths for the CNC equipment.
- Work directly with project managers, field crews and shop personnel to fabricate sheet metal for HVAC systems.
- Work closely with engineers in drafting drawings from hand sketches of components and schematics, and to ECO release into manufacturing.
- Develop a program using MATLAB for design of experiments and statistical analysis of experimental results base on statistical sampling theory.
- Work with various PLC technologies and develop and update existing code for the equipment.
- Mentore other drafters while assisting in the transition upgrade from Microstation v7 into v8.
- Design PowerPoint presentations with 3D animation for potential clients.
Design engineer/drafter skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Design Engineers/Drafter are proficient in Assembly Drawings, Engineering Drawings, and Engineering Design. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Technical skills, and Time-management skills.
We break down the percentage of Design Engineers/Drafter that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Assembly Drawings, 19%
Created assembly, sub-assembly drawings, ordered materials, and created bills of material for completed projects.
- Engineering Drawings, 9%
Provide detailed engineering drawings for the purpose of manufacturing product.
- Engineering Design, 7%
Prepare preliminary and working drawings for documenting the engineering design through PTC Windchill.
- Auto CAD, 5%
Trained new employees to use Auto CAD software and to adhere to company design process and standards.
- GD, 5%
Created fab drawings, GD & T required for precision parts.
- Aerospace, 5%
Ford Aerospace Communications Corporation: Preparation and revision of ink drawings related to military equipment.
Most design engineers/drafter use their skills in "assembly drawings," "engineering drawings," and "engineering design" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential design engineer/drafter responsibilities here:
Detail oriented. One of the key soft skills for a design engineer/drafter to have is detail oriented. You can see how this relates to what design engineers/drafter do because "drafters must take care that the plans they convert are technically accurate according to the outlined specifications." Additionally, a design engineer/drafter resume shows how design engineers/drafter use detail oriented: "created part and assembly drawings, including bills of materials and detail drawings used for machining and assembly. "
Technical skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling design engineer/drafter duties is technical skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "drafters in all specialties must be able to use computer software, such as cad, and work with database tools, such as building information modeling (bim)." According to a design engineer/drafter resume, here's how design engineers/drafter can utilize technical skills in their job responsibilities: "performed reverse engineering in order to create assemblies and detailed technical drawings for product manufacturing. "
Time-management skills. design engineers/drafter are also known for time-management skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to design engineer/drafter responsibilities, because "drafters often work under deadline." A design engineer/drafter resume example shows how time-management skills is used in the workplace: "managed engineering design and production deadlines efficient to develop clear/detail drawings, sketches, and diagrams for on-site production. "
Creativity. design engineer/drafter responsibilities often require "creativity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "drafters must be able to turn plans and ideas into technical drawings of buildings, tools, and systems." This resume example shows what design engineers/drafter do with creativity on a typical day: "change existing production drawings to inventor. "
Math skills. Another common skill required for design engineer/drafter responsibilities is "math skills." This skill comes up in the duties of design engineers/drafter all the time, as "drafters work on technical drawings." An excerpt from a real design engineer/drafter resume shows how this skill is central to what a design engineer/drafter does: "sketch layout in trailers and complete mathematical calculations. "
The three companies that hire the most design engineer/drafters are:
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Compare different design engineers/drafter
Design engineer/drafter vs. Computer draftsman mechanical
Draftsmen are professionals with expertise in computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) drawings. They perform similar tasks as architects, such as preparing CADD drawings. They typically specialize in different areas, including construction, architecture, or civil engineering. They also prepare drawings for manufacturing. These drawings include technical specifications and details such as dimensions, procedures, and materials. Draftsmen also utilize technical handbooks, tables, and calculators, in addition to CADD. Employers often prefer a draftsman with drafting training, which you can obtain from community colleges or technical institutes.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a design engineer/drafter are more likely to require skills like "engineering drawings," "engineering design," "gd," and "technical support." On the other hand, a job as a computer draftsman mechanical requires skills like "cadd," "design layouts," "solidworks," and "architectural drawings." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Computer draftsman mechanicals tend to reach similar levels of education than design engineers/drafter. In fact, computer draftsman mechanicals are 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Design engineer/drafter vs. Draftsman
A mechanical designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality. They also inspect overall equipment performance and recommend adjustments as needed to improve its quality and boost optimization. Mechanical designers assist with installation and system upgrades, respond with the clients' inquiries and concerns, and escalate it to the appropriate personnel for resolution. A mechanical designer must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical and technology industry to build designs according to the highest standards.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real design engineer/drafter resumes. While design engineer/drafter responsibilities can utilize skills like "engineering design," "gd," "aerospace," and "technical support," draftsmen use skills like "autocad lt," "layout drawings," "structural steel," and "sketch."
On average, draftsmen earn a lower salary than design engineers/drafter. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, draftsmen earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $52,988. Whereas design engineers/drafter have higher pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $56,593.draftsmen earn similar levels of education than design engineers/drafter in general. They're 3.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for design engineer/drafters in the next 3-5 years?
Dan Rodenbaugh
Vice President of Education, Director, ADDA
Design engineer/drafter vs. Mechanical draftsman
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, design engineers/drafter are more likely to have skills like "engineering design," "aerospace," "technical support," and "creo." But a mechanical draftsman is more likely to have skills like "mechanical drawings," "machine shop," "mechanical drafting," and "control panels."
When it comes to education, mechanical draftsmen tend to earn lower degree levels compared to design engineers/drafter. In fact, they're 6.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Design engineer/drafter vs. Mechanical designer
Even though a few skill sets overlap between design engineers/drafter and mechanical designers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a design engineer/drafter might have more use for skills like "engineering design," "aerospace," "technical support," and "catia." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of mechanical designers require skills like "mechanical design," "revit," "design software," and "plumbing. "
In general, mechanical designers earn the most working in the energy industry, with an average salary of $66,900. The highest-paying industry for a design engineer/drafter is the retail industry.The average resume of mechanical designers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to design engineers/drafter. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.Types of design engineer/drafter
Updated January 8, 2025
