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The differences between structural designers and autocad drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a structural designer, becoming an autocad drafter takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a structural designer has an average salary of $63,273, which is higher than the $41,984 average annual salary of an autocad drafter.
The top three skills for a structural designer include revit, structural design and BIM. The most important skills for an autocad drafter are construction drawings, layout drawings, and revit.
| Structural Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $63,273 | $41,984 |
| Hourly rate | $30.42 | $20.18 |
| Growth rate | 7% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 51,432 | 2,429 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
A Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.
An Autocad Drafter develops drawings and plans for the construction and manufacturing industries. They use various types of computer-aided design and drafting software.
Structural designers and autocad drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structural Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Average salary | $63,273 | $41,984 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $84,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Garfield, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Tesla | GPAC |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Government |
There are a few differences between a structural designer and an autocad drafter in terms of educational background:
| Structural Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between structural designers' and autocad drafters' demographics:
| Structural Designer | Autocad Drafter | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | Male, 72.3% Female, 27.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 5% | 6% |