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The differences between senior design drafters and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior design drafter, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a design engineer has an average salary of $77,134, 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 design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Senior Design Drafter | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $50,329 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $24.20 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 37,776 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Senior design drafters and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Design Drafter | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $50,329 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $74,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Meta |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior design drafter and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Design Drafter | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | LeTourneau University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior design drafters' and design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Design Drafter | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.5% Female, 17.5% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |