Detail drafter vs tool design drafter

The differences between detail drafters and tool design drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a detail drafter and a tool design drafter. Additionally, a tool design drafter has an average salary of $60,965, which is higher than the $44,472 average annual salary of a detail drafter.

The top three skills for a detail drafter include shop drawings, layout drawings and assembly drawings. The most important skills for a tool design drafter are CAD, engineering drawings, and autocad.

Detail drafter vs tool design drafter overview

	Detail Drafter	Tool Design Drafter
Yearly salary	$44,472	$60,965
Hourly rate	$21.38	$29.31
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	5,656	45,672
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 64%	Associate Degree, 70%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Detail drafter vs tool design drafter salary

Detail drafters and tool design drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Detail Drafter	Tool Design Drafter
Average salary	$44,472	$60,965
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $59,000	Between $43,000 And $84,000
Highest paying City	Modesto, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Hendrick Manufacturing	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between detail drafter and tool design drafter education

There are a few differences between a detail drafter and a tool design drafter in terms of educational background:

	Detail Drafter	Tool Design Drafter
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 64%	Associate Degree, 70%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	LeTourneau University	Northwestern University

Detail drafter vs tool design drafter demographics

Here are the differences between detail drafters' and tool design drafters' demographics:

	Detail Drafter	Tool Design Drafter
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2%	Male, 86.5% Female, 13.5%
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%

Differences between detail drafter and tool design drafter duties and responsibilities

Detail drafter example responsibilities.

Create drawings of elevator interiors using SolidWorks
Develop, organize and maintain AutoCAD standards for designers to use resulting in efficient production and time management.
Work perform in PDMS Design/Draft and AutoCAD r.2006.

Tool design drafter example responsibilities.

Manage the ECN process by assigning the highest priority requests through coordination between engineering staff and drafting personnel.
Transfer data electronically and manipulate product data files in Unigraphics NX9.
Assist engineers with ECOs and ECRs occasionally.
Use ACAD to create/modify installation diagrams for manufacturing.

Detail drafter vs tool design drafter skills

Common detail drafter skills

Shop Drawings, 13%
Layout Drawings, 9%
Assembly Drawings, 9%
Construction Drawings, 8%
Installation Drawings, 8%
CNC, 5%

Common tool design drafter skills

CAD, 51%
Engineering Drawings, 39%
Autocad, 10%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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