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The differences between mechanical designers and autocad drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a mechanical designer, becoming an autocad drafter takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a mechanical designer has an average salary of $62,541, which is higher than the $41,984 average annual salary of an autocad drafter.
The top three skills for a mechanical designer include mechanical design, revit and auto cad. The most important skills for an autocad drafter are construction drawings, layout drawings, and revit.
| Mechanical Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $62,541 | $41,984 |
| Hourly rate | $30.07 | $20.18 |
| Growth rate | 2% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 65,748 | 2,429 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
A mechanical designer is responsible for designing mechanical equipment and devices, together with the engineers and other technology professionals. Mechanical designers create layouts following the clients' specifications, perform structural analysis, and analyze dimensions to ensure quality. They also inspect overall equipment performance and recommend adjustments as needed to improve its quality and boost optimization. Mechanical designers assist with installation and system upgrades, respond with the clients' inquiries and concerns, and escalate it to the appropriate personnel for resolution. A mechanical designer must have a strong knowledge of the mechanical and technology industry to build designs according to the highest standards.
An Autocad Drafter develops drawings and plans for the construction and manufacturing industries. They use various types of computer-aided design and drafting software.
Mechanical designers and autocad drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Average salary | $62,541 | $41,984 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $83,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Garfield, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | GPAC |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Government |
There are a few differences between a mechanical designer and an autocad drafter in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between mechanical designers' and autocad drafters' demographics:
| Mechanical Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 6% |