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The differences between drafting technicians and mechanical designers 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 a mechanical designer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a mechanical designer has an average salary of $62,541, 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 a mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.
| Drafting Technician | Mechanical Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $45,318 | $62,541 |
| Hourly rate | $21.79 | $30.07 |
| Growth rate | - | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 32,427 | 65,748 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
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.
A mechanical designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality. They also inspect overall equipment performance and recommend adjustments as needed to improve its quality and boost optimization. Mechanical designers assist with installation and system upgrades, respond with the clients' inquiries and concerns, and escalate it to the appropriate personnel for resolution. A mechanical designer must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical and technology industry to build designs according to the highest standards.
Drafting technicians and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drafting Technician | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average salary | $45,318 | $62,541 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $65,000 | Between $46,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | City of Detroit | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a drafting technician and a mechanical designer in terms of educational background:
| Drafting Technician | Mechanical Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between drafting technicians' and mechanical designers' demographics:
| Drafting Technician | Mechanical Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.4% Female, 23.6% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |