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Lead drafter vs architectural technician

The differences between lead drafters and architectural technicians 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 technician. Additionally, an architectural technician has an average salary of $83,667, 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 technician are sketch, revit, and construction drawings.

Lead drafter vs architectural technician overview

Lead DrafterArchitectural Technician
Yearly salary$47,538$83,667
Hourly rate$22.85$40.22
Growth rate-3%-3%
Number of jobs3,2669,495
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

Lead drafter vs architectural technician salary

Lead drafters and architectural technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Lead DrafterArchitectural Technician
Average salary$47,538$83,667
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $63,000Between $56,000 And $123,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-Google
Best paying industry-Technology

Differences between lead drafter and architectural technician education

There are a few differences between a lead drafter and an architectural technician in terms of educational background:

Lead DrafterArchitectural Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorDrafting And DesignArchitecture
Most common collegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University

Lead drafter vs architectural technician demographics

Here are the differences between lead drafters' and architectural technicians' demographics:

Lead DrafterArchitectural Technician
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 83.6% Female, 16.4%Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between lead drafter and architectural technician duties and responsibilities

Lead drafter example responsibilities.

  • Lead and train a drafting team in order to transfer all hand drawn layouts to a digital copy using AutoCAD.
  • Maintain ECO's numbers and BOM's.
  • Create and revise BOM's as required per drawings and specifications.
  • Program and operate CNC routers, including maintenance and general care of the machine.
  • Design with sheet metal, aluminum, and parts to be mill by a CNC machine.
  • Provide support regarding AutoCAD operation.
  • Show more

Architectural technician example responsibilities.

  • Lead the development of BIM modeling content for the architecture team as a direct report to the executive and lead architects.
  • Train employees on Revit basics and provide AutoCad support.
  • Work with architects and project managers to produce 3d models and detail drawings for various types of large facilities using Revit.
  • Prepare and administer construction documents MEP and blue prints using computer assist draw software and other computer applications.
  • Edit and render high quality video animation to provide the story frame-by-frame of modeling and surroundings.

Lead drafter vs architectural technician skills

Common lead drafter skills
  • Construction Drawings, 18%
  • Autocad, 18%
  • Engineering Drawings, 16%
  • Aided Design, 14%
  • Product Line, 10%
  • CAD Tech, 3%
Common architectural technician skills
  • Sketch, 30%
  • Revit, 23%
  • Construction Drawings, 8%
  • BIM, 5%
  • Design Development, 5%
  • Architectural Drawings, 4%

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