Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between tool makers and tool designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a tool maker and a tool designer. Additionally, a tool designer has an average salary of $64,763, which is higher than the $52,443 average annual salary of a tool maker.
The top three skills for a tool maker include grinders, jigs and hand tools. The most important skills for a tool designer are jigs, assembly fixtures, and aerospace.
| Tool Maker | Tool Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $52,443 | $64,763 |
| Hourly rate | $25.21 | $31.14 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 18,166 | 51,666 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 54 | 54 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The job of a toolmaker is to make precision tools, holding devices, and special guides that are used in the manufacturing process. You will be responsible for repairing, maintaining, and improving jigs, fixtures, and fittings for press tools and all tooling dies, conducting routine regrinding and servicing of tools, and ensuring compliance with all quality standard regulations. In addition, you may be tasked to operate lifting equipment and forklift truck and document die history and other relevant records. You will also be responsible for conducting preventative maintenance.
A tool designer is an expert who works to engineer a new equipment's initial design used in industrial manufacturing. Tool designers design machine cutting tools like drills, broaches, and milling-machine cutters. They apply geometric and algebraic formulas along with standard tool engineering data for tool configuration development. Also, they modify tool designs based on production service data or trial for tool life performance and life improvement.
Tool makers and tool designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tool Maker | Tool Designer | |
| Average salary | $52,443 | $64,763 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $68,000 | Between $47,000 And $87,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sterling Heights, MI | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | General Electric | Entegris |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a tool maker and a tool designer in terms of educational background:
| Tool Maker | Tool Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Precision Metal Working | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between tool makers' and tool designers' demographics:
| Tool Maker | Tool Designer | |
| Average age | 54 | 54 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7% | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 3% |