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The differences between lead drafters and architectural 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 lead drafter and an architectural designer. Additionally, an architectural designer has an average salary of $59,122, which is higher than the $47,538 average annual salary of a lead drafter.
The top three skills for a lead drafter include construction drawings, autocad and engineering drawings. The most important skills for an architectural designer are sketch, sketchup, and BIM.
| Lead Drafter | Architectural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $47,538 | $59,122 |
| Hourly rate | $22.85 | $28.42 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,266 | 54,358 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Lead drafters and architectural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Drafter | Architectural Designer | |
| Average salary | $47,538 | $59,122 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $63,000 | Between $45,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Vermont |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a lead drafter and an architectural designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Drafter | Architectural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Architecture |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead drafters' and architectural designers' demographics:
| Lead Drafter | Architectural Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |