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The differences between plumbing designers and architectural designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a plumbing designer, becoming an architectural designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a plumbing designer has an average salary of $61,468, which is higher than the $59,122 average annual salary of an architectural designer.
The top three skills for a plumbing designer include revit, plumbing and fire protection. The most important skills for an architectural designer are sketch, sketchup, and BIM.
| Plumbing Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $61,468 | $59,122 |
| Hourly rate | $29.55 | $28.42 |
| Growth rate | 2% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 44,975 | 54,358 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
Plumbing Designers are responsible for developing plumbing and drainage systems for residential or commercial areas. Their duties include providing design specifications to clients, producing schematics, achieving key performance metrics, and conducting quality assurance assessments. They contribute technical content for marketing purposes, sourcing equipment, and guiding internal departments on installation procedures. Plumbing Designers also prepare client proposals, supervise junior staff, and provide staff training sessions.
An Architectural Designer is specialized in planning and designing structures/urban landscapes. They ensure that company policies and standards are maintained when providing services to clients.
Plumbing designers and architectural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plumbing Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Average salary | $61,468 | $59,122 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $85,000 | Between $45,000 And $77,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Belcan | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Professional |
There are a few differences between a plumbing designer and an architectural designer in terms of educational background:
| Plumbing Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Architecture |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between plumbing designers' and architectural designers' demographics:
| Plumbing Designer | Architectural Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.1% 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% |