Senior design drafter vs computer aided design designer

The differences between senior design drafters and computer aided design designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior design drafter and a computer aided design designer. Additionally, a computer aided design designer has an average salary of $60,150, which is higher than the $50,329 average annual salary of a senior design drafter.

The top three skills for a senior design drafter include engineering drawings, aided design and assembly drawings. The most important skills for a computer aided design designer are auto cad, revit, and aided design.

Senior design drafter vs computer aided design designer overview

	Senior Design Drafter	Computer Aided Design Designer
Yearly salary	$50,329	$60,150
Hourly rate	$24.20	$28.92
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	37,776	92,503
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 71%	Associate Degree, 45%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

What does a senior design drafter do?

A Senior Design Drafter is responsible for designing, drafting, and checking drawings, maps, diagrams, and documentation for the projects of an organization. They analyze, interpret, and explain drafts and drawings.

What does a computer aided design designer do?

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 design drafter vs computer aided design designer salary

Senior design drafters and computer aided design designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Design Drafter	Computer Aided Design Designer
Average salary	$50,329	$60,150
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $74,000	Between $40,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between senior design drafter and computer aided design designer education

There are a few differences between a senior design drafter and a computer aided design designer in terms of educational background:

	Senior Design Drafter	Computer Aided Design Designer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 71%	Associate Degree, 45%
Most common major	Drafting And Design	Drafting And Design
Most common college	LeTourneau University	LeTourneau University

Senior design drafter vs computer aided design designer demographics

Here are the differences between senior design drafters' and computer aided design designers' demographics:

	Senior Design Drafter	Computer Aided Design Designer
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 82.5% Female, 17.5%	Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%
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 senior design drafter and computer aided design designer duties and responsibilities

Senior design drafter example responsibilities.

Develop custom macros for SolidWorks to automate many redundant processes.
Create design layouts, parts drawings and assembly drawings using Solidworks.
Check drawings accordingly to ANSI Y14.5.
Produce drawing changes through ECO process.
Provide drafting support to the HVAC engineering team.
Organize and file drawing file according to company's PDM system (Windhill).

Computer aided design designer example responsibilities.

Manage the ECN process by assigning the highest priority requests through coordination between engineering staff and drafting personnel.
Manage and supervise other draftsmen.
Develop a product design to solve the problem of height adjustment of a chair using PTC CreO Direct/Elements & parametric.
Used primiarly pro-e with some autocad.
Work with both Intralink and Windchill.
Create blueprints/drawings of unique grille designs for glass windows using computer program

Senior design drafter vs computer aided design designer skills

Common senior design drafter skills

Engineering Drawings, 10%
Aided Design, 8%
Assembly Drawings, 6%
GD, 6%
Autodesk, 5%
Design Drawings, 5%

Common computer aided design designer skills

Auto CAD, 8%
Revit, 8%
Aided Design, 7%
Construction Drawings, 4%
Engineering Drawings, 4%
Design Drawings, 4%

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Senior Design Drafter vs Computer Aided Design Designer

Updated January 8, 2025

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