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The differences between senior architectural designers and computer aided design designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a senior architectural designer, becoming a computer aided design designer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a senior architectural designer has an average salary of $74,891, which is higher than the $60,150 average annual salary of a computer aided design designer.
The top three skills for a senior architectural designer include revit, autocad and design concepts. The most important skills for a computer aided design designer are auto cad, revit, and aided design.
| Senior Architectural Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,891 | $60,150 |
| Hourly rate | $36.01 | $28.92 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 53,724 | 92,503 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
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.
A computer-aided design (CAD) designer is responsible for creating plan outlines and project designs for a specific business need. A CAD designer utilizes various technologies and software applications to generate graphic illustrations. CAD designers must have strong knowledge of the technology designs, software management, engineering standards, and the construction industry fundamentals. CAD designers label their works with appropriate dimensions and specifications, performing necessary adjustments to meet the clients' needs. A CAD designer requires excellent critical-thinking and analytical skills to manage design structures and creative solutions.
Senior architectural designers and computer aided design designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Architectural Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Average salary | $74,891 | $60,150 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $101,000 | Between $40,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Western Digital | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Media | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior architectural designer and a computer aided design designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Architectural Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Associate Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Architecture | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | LeTourneau University |
Here are the differences between senior architectural designers' and computer aided design designers' demographics:
| Senior Architectural Designer | Computer Aided Design Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.9% Female, 26.1% | Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4% |
| 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, 3.0% 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% |