Lead drafter vs autocad operator

The differences between lead drafters and autocad operators 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 autocad operator. Additionally, a lead drafter has an average salary of $47,538, which is higher than the $44,278 average annual salary of an autocad operator.

The top three skills for a lead drafter include construction drawings, autocad and engineering drawings. The most important skills for an autocad operator are shop drawings, plumbing, and HVAC.

Lead drafter vs autocad operator overview

	Lead Drafter	Autocad Operator
Yearly salary	$47,538	$44,278
Hourly rate	$22.85	$21.29
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	3,266	27,082
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Lead drafter vs autocad operator salary

Lead drafters and autocad operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lead Drafter	Autocad Operator
Average salary	$47,538	$44,278
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $63,000	Between $31,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between lead drafter and autocad operator education

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

	Lead Drafter	Autocad Operator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	Carnegie Mellon University	Carnegie Mellon University

Lead drafter vs autocad operator demographics

Here are the differences between lead drafters' and autocad operators' demographics:

	Lead Drafter	Autocad Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%	Male, 77.2% Female, 22.8%
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%

Differences between lead drafter and autocad operator 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.

Autocad operator example responsibilities.

Manage Autodesk accounts and train drafters and field crews as well.
Incorporate HVAC construction drawings into coordination drawings
Provide Revit MEP training for employees.
Download data points to GIS software.
Assist with setting up Revit projects.
Expose to CNC machining and assist in programming them.

Lead drafter vs autocad operator skills

Common lead drafter skills

Construction Drawings, 18%
Autocad, 18%
Engineering Drawings, 16%
Aided Design, 14%
Product Line, 10%
CAD Tech, 3%

Common autocad operator skills

Shop Drawings, 10%
Plumbing, 8%
HVAC, 7%
Auto CAD, 7%
CNC, 6%
As-Built Drawings, 6%