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The differences between drafting technicians and engineering technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a drafting technician, becoming an engineering technician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an engineering technician has an average salary of $60,273, which is higher than the $45,318 average annual salary of a drafting technician.
The top three skills for a drafting technician include engineering drawings, solidworks and revit. The most important skills for an engineering technician are technical support, data collection, and test equipment.
| Drafting Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $45,318 | $60,273 |
| Hourly rate | $21.79 | $28.98 |
| Growth rate | - | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 32,427 | 111,343 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 4 |
A Drafting Technician prepares and supervises the preparation of engineering schematics and drawings, charts, graphs, maps, and illustrations. They work closely with engineers, architects, and technologists.
An Engineering Technician's duties vary according to the industry or company, whether mechanical, industrial, civil, agricultural, or more. However, most of the time, the responsibilities often revolve around resolving technical issues, working with and assisting Engineers in building, assembling, designing, gathering and testing data, and conducting more manual activities. Furthermore, Engineering Technicians can specialize and work in various fields after a certain training period, closely mentored or monitored by an engineer or someone with extensive expertise.
Drafting technicians and engineering technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drafting Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average salary | $45,318 | $60,273 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $65,000 | Between $37,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | Western Digital |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a drafting technician and an engineering technician in terms of educational background:
| Drafting Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between drafting technicians' and engineering technicians' demographics:
| Drafting Technician | Engineering Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 9.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |