Draftsperson vs design drafter

The differences between draftspeople 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 draftsperson, 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 $41,751 average annual salary of a draftsperson.

The top three skills for a draftsperson include revit, auto cad and construction drawings. The most important skills for a design drafter are layout drawings, auto cad, and engineering drawings.

Draftsperson vs design drafter overview

	Draftsperson	Design Drafter
Yearly salary	$41,751	$50,021
Hourly rate	$20.07	$24.05
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	1,448	39,125
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 56%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	4

Draftsperson vs design drafter salary

Draftspeople and design drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Draftsperson	Design Drafter
Average salary	$41,751	$50,021
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $63,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Cupertino, CA
Highest paying state	New York	California
Best paying company	Basin Electric Power Cooperative	Apple
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between draftsperson and design drafter education

There are a few differences between a draftsperson and a design drafter in terms of educational background:

	Draftsperson	Design Drafter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Associate Degree, 56%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	LeTourneau University

Draftsperson vs design drafter demographics

Here are the differences between draftspeople' and design drafters' demographics:

	Draftsperson	Design Drafter
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%	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%

Differences between draftsperson and design drafter duties and responsibilities

Draftsperson example responsibilities.

sketch 2D models , 3D models, manage drawing files etc .....
Manage the technical coordination between the structural and MEP engineers along with incorporating any owner relate changes in project scope.
Assist with updating architectural drawings, HVAC drawings, electrical drawings and contractor's 'as-built' drawings on an as-need basis.
Produce complex 3D models and 2D production drawings using SolidWorks and AutoCAD R14.
Prepare detail 3D drawings using Revit and other coordination software (Navisworks, Revizto) of HVAC mechanical piping systems.
Create TWD files for CNC output

Design drafter example responsibilities.

Manage the ECN process by assigning the highest priority requests through coordination between engineering staff and drafting personnel.
Use Windchill for file management.
Develop pattern REVIT families for retail fixture manufactures.
Assist with implementation of Revit as main drawing application.
Draft and design mechanical and electrical windows for aircraft and yachts.
Work on plant location to sketch isometric drawings used for pressure analysis.

Draftsperson vs design drafter skills

Common draftsperson skills

Revit, 17%
Auto CAD, 9%
Construction Drawings, 8%
Solidworks, 7%
Shop Drawings, 4%
HVAC, 4%

Common design drafter skills

Layout Drawings, 10%
Auto CAD, 6%
Engineering Drawings, 5%
Aided Design, 5%
Assembly Drawings, 5%
Revit, 4%