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The differences between mechanical designers and design 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 a design drafter takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a mechanical designer has an average salary of $62,541, which is higher than the $50,021 average annual salary of a design drafter.
The top three skills for a mechanical designer include mechanical design, revit and auto cad. The most important skills for a design drafter are layout drawings, auto cad, and engineering drawings.
| Mechanical Designer | Design Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $62,541 | $50,021 |
| Hourly rate | $30.07 | $24.05 |
| Growth rate | 2% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 65,748 | 39,125 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
A design drafter is responsible for creating a technical draft of the architects' and engineers' designs using various software applications. Design drafters analyze schematics and blueprints and compare the specifications to the draft, ensuring all the features' accuracy. They review structural details and perform adjustments based on the building techniques standards. A design drafter must have excellent knowledge with the engineering disciplines, as well as manufacturing processes to determine dimensions and minimize material costs without compromising the construction quality.
Mechanical designers and design drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Mechanical Designer | Design Drafter | |
| Average salary | $62,541 | $50,021 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $83,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a mechanical designer and a design drafter in terms of educational background:
| Mechanical Designer | Design Drafter | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 51% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | LeTourneau University |
Here are the differences between mechanical designers' and design drafters' demographics:
| Mechanical Designer | Design Drafter | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% |
| 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, 3.0% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |