Mechanical draftsman vs computer aided design designer

The differences between mechanical draftsmen and computer aided design designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a mechanical draftsman and a computer aided design designer. Additionally, a computer aided design designer has an average salary of $60,150, which is higher than the $40,926 average annual salary of a mechanical draftsman.

The top three skills for a mechanical draftsman include auto cad, assembly drawings and HVAC. The most important skills for a computer aided design designer are auto cad, revit, and aided design.

Mechanical draftsman vs computer aided design designer overview

	Mechanical Draftsman	Computer Aided Design Designer
Yearly salary	$40,926	$60,150
Hourly rate	$19.68	$28.92
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	17,516	92,503
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Associate Degree, 45%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

Mechanical draftsman vs computer aided design designer salary

Mechanical draftsmen and computer aided design designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Draftsman	Computer Aided Design Designer
Average salary	$40,926	$60,150
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $50,000	Between $40,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between mechanical draftsman and computer aided design designer education

There are a few differences between a mechanical draftsman and a computer aided design designer in terms of educational background:

	Mechanical Draftsman	Computer Aided Design Designer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Associate Degree, 45%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	Northwestern University	LeTourneau University

Mechanical draftsman vs computer aided design designer demographics

Here are the differences between mechanical draftsmen' and computer aided design designers' demographics:

	Mechanical Draftsman	Computer Aided Design Designer
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%	Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%
Race ratio	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%	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	6%	6%

Differences between mechanical draftsman and computer aided design designer duties and responsibilities

Mechanical draftsman example responsibilities.

Manage ECR and ECO packets to alter documentation specifications.
Manage document collation for field distribution of MEP plans to shop and field.
Manage and supervise other draftsmen.
Design, revise and update mechanical drawings for an automate trash baler, HVAC and conveyor systems.
Coordinate between MEP and prepare project deliverables.
Revise and update mechanical drawing and BOM as required.

Computer aided design designer example responsibilities.

Manage the ECN process by assigning the highest priority requests through coordination between engineering staff and drafting personnel.
Manage and supervise other draftsmen.
Develop a product design to solve the problem of height adjustment of a chair using PTC CreO Direct/Elements & parametric.
Used primiarly pro-e with some autocad.
Work with both Intralink and Windchill.
Create blueprints/drawings of unique grille designs for glass windows using computer program

Mechanical draftsman vs computer aided design designer skills

Common mechanical draftsman skills

Auto CAD, 12%
Assembly Drawings, 8%
HVAC, 7%
R, 5%
Mechanical Drawings, 5%
BOM, 5%

Common computer aided design designer skills

Auto CAD, 8%
Revit, 8%
Aided Design, 7%
Construction Drawings, 4%
Engineering Drawings, 4%
Design Drawings, 4%

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Mechanical Draftsman vs Computer Aided Design Designer

Updated January 8, 2025

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