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The differences between senior architectural designers and architectural drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a senior architectural designer and an architectural drafter. Additionally, a senior architectural designer has an average salary of $74,891, which is higher than the $49,944 average annual salary of an architectural drafter.
The top three skills for a senior architectural designer include revit, autocad and design concepts. The most important skills for an architectural drafter are revit, construction drawings, and architectural drawings.
| Senior Architectural Designer | Architectural Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $74,891 | $49,944 |
| Hourly rate | $36.01 | $24.01 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 53,724 | 7,139 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A senior architectural designer's responsibilities include designing buildings, providing instructions to a manufacturing team, and using architectural design software to create models. Specifications for designs may be provided by clients or by a company. Senior architectural designers must also ensure that their buildings comply with all legal standards.
Architectural drafters are skilled professionals who work alongside architects and engineers to craft technical drawings of construction projects. They use computer software to render technical models of designs made by architects. They create these designs in great detail to ensure that everything is captured perfectly. Architectural drafters may specialize in different design areas, such as building or infrastructure type and materials used for construction. Architectural drafters need to visit the site for a better appreciation of the project. They may also use this time to coordinate with engineers and architects.
Senior architectural designers and architectural drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Architectural Designer | Architectural Drafter | |
| Average salary | $74,891 | $49,944 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $101,000 | Between $37,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Rafael Viñoly Architects |
| Best paying industry | Media | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior architectural designer and an architectural drafter in terms of educational background:
| Senior Architectural Designer | Architectural Drafter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between senior architectural designers' and architectural drafters' demographics:
| Senior Architectural Designer | Architectural Drafter | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1% | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 6% | 6% |