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The differences between senior computer aided design designers and civil engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior computer aided design designer and a civil engineer. Additionally, a senior computer aided design designer has an average salary of $72,604, which is higher than the $70,950 average annual salary of a civil engineer.
The top three skills for a senior computer aided design designer include autocad, and . The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.
| Senior Computer Aided Design Designer | Civil Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,604 | $70,950 |
| Hourly rate | $34.91 | $34.11 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 91,006 | 26,803 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Senior Computer-Aided Designer is focused on creating designs for the organization using specialized computer-based applications. They draft drawings according to industry standards.
A civil engineer designs and supervises the construction of large-scale public works projects such as buildings, roads, tunnels, highways, airports, bridges, dams, and other substantial infrastructure. Most civil engineers work in the private industry, but some work for a government organization. Their output is almost everywhere. Many of them specialize in a specific project or practice a target profession such as in transportation, structural engineering, or geotechnical engineering. They oftentimes work at project sites, as they monitor the ongoing construction.
Senior computer aided design designers and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Computer Aided Design Designer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average salary | $72,604 | $70,950 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $121,000 | Between $51,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a senior computer aided design designer and a civil engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Computer Aided Design Designer | Civil Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 42% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between senior computer aided design designers' and civil engineers' demographics:
| Senior Computer Aided Design Designer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 12.1% White, 71.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 15.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |