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The differences between truss designers and structural designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a truss designer, becoming a structural designer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a structural designer has an average salary of $63,273, which is higher than the $50,866 average annual salary of a truss designer.
The top three skills for a truss designer include mitek, design software and auto cad. The most important skills for a structural designer are revit, structural design, and BIM.
| Truss Designer | Structural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $50,866 | $63,273 |
| Hourly rate | $24.45 | $30.42 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 45,424 | 51,432 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
A truss designer's major responsibility is to design layouts for floors and roofs. They work with architects and engineers to ensure the feasibility of new designs. They also develop schematics through computer-aided design (CAD) software. They are required to work on layouts for roofs and flooring for both residential and commercial buildings.
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.
Truss designers and structural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Truss Designer | Structural Designer | |
| Average salary | $50,866 | $63,273 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $70,000 | Between $47,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Tesla |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a truss designer and a structural designer in terms of educational background:
| Truss Designer | Structural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between truss designers' and structural designers' demographics:
| Truss Designer | Structural Designer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |