Lead drafter vs draftsperson

The differences between lead drafters and draftspeople 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 a draftsperson. Additionally, a lead drafter has an average salary of $47,538, which is higher than the $41,751 average annual salary of a draftsperson.

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

Lead drafter vs draftsperson overview

	Lead Drafter	Draftsperson
Yearly salary	$47,538	$41,751
Hourly rate	$22.85	$20.07
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	3,266	1,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

Lead drafter vs draftsperson salary

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

	Lead Drafter	Draftsperson
Average salary	$47,538	$41,751
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $63,000	Between $27,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between lead drafter and draftsperson education

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

	Lead Drafter	Draftsperson
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 draftsperson demographics

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

	Lead Drafter	Draftsperson
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%	Male, 51.8% Female, 48.2%
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 draftsperson 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.

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

Lead drafter vs draftsperson skills

Common lead drafter skills

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

Common draftsperson skills

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