Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between drafters and design drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a drafter, becoming a design drafter takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a design drafter has an average salary of $50,021, which is higher than the $43,542 average annual salary of a drafter.
The top three skills for a drafter include layout drawings, aided design and revit. The most important skills for a design drafter are layout drawings, auto cad, and engineering drawings.
| Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $43,542 | $50,021 |
| Hourly rate | $20.93 | $24.05 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,968 | 39,125 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
The duties of a drafter vary on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a drafter specializes in creating a three-dimensional model for software and other applications upon gathering details and specifications from designers and other personnel. A drafter usually works with a team and is supervised by a manager or a more experienced colleague. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with the team involved, all while adhering to the policies and standards of the company.
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.
Drafters and design drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Average salary | $43,542 | $50,021 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $56,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | National Grid plc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Finance |
There are a few differences between a drafter and a design drafter in terms of educational background:
| Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | LeTourneau University |
Here are the differences between drafters' and design drafters' demographics:
| Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.7% Female, 25.3% | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% |
| 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, 3.0% 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% |