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Structural drafter vs draftsman/designer

The differences between structural drafters and draftsman/designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a structural drafter and a draftsman/designer. Additionally, a draftsman/designer has an average salary of $52,529, 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 draftsman/designer are design layouts, solidworks, and shop drawings.

Structural drafter vs draftsman/designer overview

Structural DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Yearly salary$48,536$52,529
Hourly rate$23.33$25.25
Growth rate-3%-3%
Number of jobs4,68547,341
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 63%Associate Degree, 51%
Average age4545
Years of experience1212

Structural drafter vs draftsman/designer salary

Structural drafters and draftsman/designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Structural DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Average salary$48,536$52,529
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $64,000Between $30,000 And $89,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Jersey
Best paying companyJacobs Engineering GroupTalentBurst
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between structural drafter and draftsman/designer education

There are a few differences between a structural drafter and a draftsman/designer in terms of educational background:

Structural DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 63%Associate Degree, 51%
Most common majorDrafting And DesignDrafting And Design
Most common collegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University

Structural drafter vs draftsman/designer demographics

Here are the differences between structural drafters' and draftsman/designers' demographics:

Structural DrafterDraftsman/Designer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 78.9% Female, 21.1%Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 7.0% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between structural drafter and draftsman/designer duties and responsibilities

Structural drafter example responsibilities.

  • Create as-built AutoCAD and Revit structural drawings for existing conditions.
  • Create CNC nesting programs for wood, plastic, and graphics.
  • Create automated schedules, sections, views and plans from Revit database content.
  • Produce molding samples, analyze pressure & temperature control, CNC part programme adjustments.
  • Inspect electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, mold, insulation, damages, & conditions of the house.
  • Develop elevations with horizontal and vertical section detail drawings.
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Draftsman/designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and supervise other draftsmen.
  • Assist with structural steel detailing, machine design, CNC graphics and ceramics machine design projects.
  • Detail preliminary design drawings to create BOM's, production use shop layouts, and specific details.
  • Travele to various work sites to dimension and sketch details of the projects.
  • Develop and maintain current Revit templates for consistency and overall visual quality of projects.
  • Design and draft building components from red lines create by MEP engineers with revit software.
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Structural drafter vs draftsman/designer skills

Common structural drafter skills
  • Revit, 25%
  • Shop Drawings, 11%
  • Structural Drawings, 8%
  • Elevations, 6%
  • BIM, 6%
  • Construction Drawings, 5%
Common draftsman/designer skills
  • Design Layouts, 16%
  • Solidworks, 10%
  • Shop Drawings, 5%
  • R, 4%
  • HVAC, 4%
  • Customer Specifications, 3%

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