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The differences between structural drafters and design drafters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a structural drafter, becoming a design drafter takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a design drafter has an average salary of $50,021, which is higher than the $48,536 average annual salary of a structural drafter.
The top three skills for a structural drafter include revit, shop drawings and structural drawings. The most important skills for a design drafter are layout drawings, auto cad, and engineering drawings.
| Structural Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Yearly salary | $48,536 | $50,021 |
| Hourly rate | $23.33 | $24.05 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 4,685 | 39,125 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 63% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A structural drafter creates technical drawings, plans, and cost estimations. They prepare guidelines and for building bridges, lodges, and manufacturing plants. They typically work for construction companies, transportation firms, or manufacturing firms. They prepare drafts, present them to clients, and complete any revisions requested.
A design drafter is responsible for creating a technical draft of the architects' and engineers' designs using various software applications. Design drafters analyze schematics and blueprints and compare the specifications to the draft, ensuring all the features' accuracy. They review structural details and perform adjustments based on the building techniques standards. A design drafter must have excellent knowledge with the engineering disciplines, as well as manufacturing processes to determine dimensions and minimize material costs without compromising the construction quality.
Structural drafters and design drafters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structural Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Average salary | $48,536 | $50,021 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $64,000 | Between $37,000 And $67,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Jacobs Engineering Group | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Finance |
There are a few differences between a structural drafter and a design drafter in terms of educational background:
| Structural Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 63% | Associate Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | LeTourneau University |
Here are the differences between structural drafters' and design drafters' demographics:
| Structural Drafter | Design Drafter | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.9% Female, 21.1% | Male, 80.1% Female, 19.9% |
| 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% |