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The differences between drafters and mechanical 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 mechanical design drafter takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mechanical design drafter has an average salary of $58,371, 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 mechanical design drafter are design layouts, creo, and assembly drawings.
| Drafter | Mechanical Design Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $43,542 | $58,371 |
| Hourly rate | $20.93 | $28.06 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,968 | 54,189 |
| 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.
Mechanical design drafter develops detailed mechanical equipment designs and specifications needed for assembly and modifies them to repair defects and to minimize problems in the production. He/she often works with architects and engineers either in an office or via job sites with hands-on experience in computer-aided design (CAD) software and building processes, visual aptitude, and mathematical skills. However, the demand for drafters tempered as CAD and building information modeling (BIM) technologies allows architects and engineers to perform tasks that are usually done by a mechanical design drafter.
Drafters and mechanical design drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drafter | Mechanical Design Drafter | |
| Average salary | $43,542 | $58,371 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $56,000 | Between $45,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Fremont, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | National Grid plc | Salt River Project |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a drafter and a mechanical design drafter in terms of educational background:
| Drafter | Mechanical 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 | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between drafters' and mechanical design drafters' demographics:
| Drafter | Mechanical Design Drafter | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.7% Female, 25.3% | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% |
| 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% |