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The differences between drafters and designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a drafter and a designer. Additionally, a designer has an average salary of $66,347, 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 designer are sketch, customer service, and graphic design.
| Drafter | Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $43,542 | $66,347 |
| Hourly rate | $20.93 | $31.90 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,968 | 52,433 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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 designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences. Designers are creative thinkers with a great eye to configure the skeletal and structural properties of the targeted output. They work in several fields, such as fashion, architecture, web graphics, and user experience. In spite of the variety of professionals in the design industry, all of them are artistic, passionate, inspiring, and emotionally connected to their projects and brands.
Drafters and designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drafter | Designer | |
| Average salary | $43,542 | $66,347 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $56,000 | Between $45,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | Washington |
| Best paying company | National Grid plc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a drafter and a designer in terms of educational background:
| Drafter | Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between drafters' and designers' demographics:
| Drafter | Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.7% Female, 25.3% | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 13% |