Printed circuit designer vs electronic drafter

The differences between printed circuit designers and electronic drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both a printed circuit designer and an electronic drafter. Additionally, a printed circuit designer has an average salary of $98,151, which is higher than the $57,250 average annual salary of an electronic drafter.

The top three skills for a printed circuit designer include PCB, IPC and RF. The most important skills for an electronic drafter are CAD, autocad, and assembly drawings.

Printed circuit designer vs electronic drafter overview

	Printed Circuit Designer	Electronic Drafter
Yearly salary	$98,151	$57,250
Hourly rate	$47.19	$27.52
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	44,212	4,983
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 52%	Associate Degree, 79%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Printed circuit designer vs electronic drafter salary

Printed circuit designers and electronic drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Printed Circuit Designer	Electronic Drafter
Average salary	$98,151	$57,250
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $140,000	Between $41,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	-	East Brunswick, NJ
Highest paying state	-	Delaware
Best paying company	-	Tech Mahindra
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between printed circuit designer and electronic drafter education

There are a few differences between a printed circuit designer and an electronic drafter in terms of educational background:

	Printed Circuit Designer	Electronic Drafter
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 52%	Associate Degree, 79%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Drafting And Design
Most common college	LeTourneau University	University of Pennsylvania

Printed circuit designer vs electronic drafter demographics

Here are the differences between printed circuit designers' and electronic drafters' demographics:

	Printed Circuit Designer	Electronic Drafter
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 86.7% Female, 13.3%	Male, 60.9% Female, 39.1%
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 printed circuit designer and electronic drafter duties and responsibilities

Printed circuit designer example responsibilities.

Control and manage the testing documentation of magnetics and mechanical documents using custom small scale PDM system base on windows files.
Design dies using Siemens NX software and at times would use Catia.
Design and documentation of RF and analog print circuit assemblies for use in microwave communication equipment.
Operate all standard manual and CNC tool room equipment.
Test and repair digital and analog audio and high definition video switching / processing circuit boards after assembly.
Create new and re-engineer existing designs for both transfer and progressive dies, using Unigraphics NX3 and NX5.

Electronic drafter example responsibilities.

Manage the design history of 3D part models, assemblies, and drawings using PDM software.
Develop, organize and maintain AutoCAD standards for designers to use resulting in efficient production and time management.
Update stock plans as necessary according to AMDA standards.

Printed circuit designer vs electronic drafter skills

Common printed circuit designer skills

PCB, 15%
IPC, 10%
RF, 9%
Analog, 6%
Mentor Graphics, 5%
Aerospace, 5%

Common electronic drafter skills

CAD, 36%
Autocad, 26%
Assembly Drawings, 11%
BOM, 10%
PCB, 10%
Electronic Circuit Boards, 6%

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Printed Circuit Designer vs Electronic Drafter

Updated January 8, 2025

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