Mechanical draftsman vs mechanical designer

The differences between mechanical draftsmen and mechanical designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a mechanical draftsman, becoming a mechanical designer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a mechanical designer has an average salary of $62,541, 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 mechanical designer are mechanical design, revit, and auto cad.

Mechanical draftsman vs mechanical designer overview

	Mechanical Draftsman	Mechanical Designer
Yearly salary	$40,926	$62,541
Hourly rate	$19.68	$30.07
Growth rate	-3%	2%
Number of jobs	17,516	65,748
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Associate Degree, 51%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	4	6

Mechanical draftsman vs mechanical designer salary

Mechanical draftsmen and mechanical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mechanical Draftsman	Mechanical Designer
Average salary	$40,926	$62,541
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $50,000	Between $46,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between mechanical draftsman and mechanical designer education

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

	Mechanical Draftsman	Mechanical Designer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Associate Degree, 51%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	Northwestern University	Carnegie Mellon University

Mechanical draftsman vs mechanical designer demographics

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

	Mechanical Draftsman	Mechanical Designer
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9%	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%
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, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.5% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	5%

Differences between mechanical draftsman and mechanical 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.

Mechanical designer example responsibilities.

Work with JPL / NASA packaging and fabrication engineering leads (on-site).
Manage documentation of existing projects, perform ECN resolutions.
Produce REVIT models for the mechanical department o HVAC sheet metal and HVAC piping.
Develop company's AutoCAD customize menu, prepare cad department logistics, organize and staff cad department.
Apply mechanical engineering design and manufacturing expertise to develop MR and XR medical imaging devices utilizing AutoCAD.
Experience with ASME and ANSI codes.

Mechanical draftsman vs mechanical designer skills

Common mechanical draftsman skills

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

Common mechanical designer skills

Mechanical Design, 8%
Revit, 7%
Auto CAD, 6%
HVAC, 5%
Engineering Drawings, 4%
Creo, 4%

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Mechanical Draftsman
Mechanical Draftsman vs Mechanical Designer

Updated January 8, 2025

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