CAD Designer Salary

[MoeBawlz]

For those of you who are in CAD design any averages as to what the pay scale is to your job, and please give a short description of what it is you do exactally. Again im not looking to see what people make here, if you could just give an average number of what people in your position make it would be greatly appreciated.

I dont mean to pry into who makes what, but im very curious as to how much potential money there is out there in this field.

I am currently an technology education major and have several offers from schools in teaching autos and cad. All the pay scales start at 42,000-46,000 and cap off at 108,000 or so. Obviously not a bad living as far as im concerned. However I have interviews with several companies that want me as an R & D Designer and also a product designer doing surface modeling in a blow molding industry. Does anyone have any clue if the salarys are comperable in the start of a career or if the cap is higher etc etc.

Thank you in advance

[trapin]

From what I've learned through the years, unless your employed by one of the big 3, there's not much job security. Hell...there ain't much where I work either (GM). I am a surface designer on Unigraphics. The pay is good in this field, but if you're at one of the smaller shops or work in the product field, you'll be bouncing around a bit. They tend to cycle through employees quite often. The only reason I've stayed where I'm at for as long as I have is because it's GM and the pay is better than what I could get working at the suppliers. I'll PM you my yearly, not gonna post it here. But I don't know how it will compare to outside Michigan or in R&D. Check your PM box.

[MoeBawlz]

Also is anyone here in the product management side of things? or maybe even coporporate training, because those are two things that I would also be looking into getting into.

[astroracer]

I'll disagree with Tony on the pay scale thing. When I was a supplier (read that; "contract puke") inside GM I know that my pay scale was always above "most" of the GM directs I worked with. Since my move in '04, offsite and into a tier 1, (even though I am still a "contract puke") I have done very well and couldn't be happier with the pay OR the work... As far as job security goes I am glad I DON'T work inside GM anymore... I would be out on the street looking for work with 500 other designers as of 05 Jan.... I got out when the gettin' was good!
On that note the low to mid 40's will be a low to average scale depending on what aspect of the design world you are in. That is a respectable wage and shouldn't be a detriment to taking a new job.
Mark

[Dust87ss]

You guys area making me feel horrible. I draw up and modify the house plans for a home builder (this may be my problem) and I only make 28,000-29,000/yr. The community college that I went to only offered AutoCAD training though. I would love to be in the 40s/yr, but will have to go back to school and finish my engineering degree to make that anywhere around here.

[Bigblue73]

PM sent

[EvolutionMotorsport]

For those of you who are in CAD design any averages as to what the pay scale is to your job, and please give a short description of what it is you do exactally. Again im not looking to see what people make here, if you could just give an average number of what people in your position make it would be greatly appreciated.



If you follow this link:

http://www.proe.com/feature_full.php?cpfeatureid=10989

You will find out the results of the 2005 ProE Salary Survey. It is pretty complete. You have to sign up, but it is a nice complete survey. I was going to just post the text, but there are a ton of graphs by education level, region and experience. I think there are similar ones for other apps as well...

Thanks...Mike

[indyjps]

I interned @ Caterpillar in '98 and the majority of their Pro-E people were contract, cant imagine it has gotten any better, I taught myself Pro-E while interning there an designed some stuff that went into production on mining trucks and was paid equivalent to $36k/yr. i guess its not really relevant now, nevermind.

[96Z28SS]

A cad designers pay rate is determined by CAD system and Region of the country they live in.

An Autocad designer will never make as much as a Unigraphics or Catia designer. Also designers in regions that have a lot of industry, with a lot of companies running CAD software the pay scale goes down.
Contracting will always pay more no matter where you are, but their always the first to go when things get tight.

Experience is also a big factor in pay with CAD designers, Employers want stuff designed quickly and correctly keeping everything parametric. so updates and changes take less time.

I have 12 years experience in injection mold plastic part design. I use Unigraphics only. worked for Bose the audio company, designing speaker enclosures and bass boxes for many cars.
I now work at Bushwacker designing fender flares and body kits for OEM customers. I do a lot of surfacing at this new job and am learning a lot of new stuff.
Maybe some day I will be as good at surfacing as Tony.

As far as a ball park salary, it can vary a lot. A Unigraphics Designer with some years experience $65k to whatever they feel like paying you.

[Derek69SS]

about $34k with 2 years experience working in Rochester, MN.

I could make a little more if I lived in a bigger city, but it would cost double to live there...

[Alan66ss]

It also depends on the industry - some pay better than others. Defense seems to be hot at this moment. I got a call the other day for openings just north of Dallas. The aircraft industry has its up and downs. But there are so few people that do it now that the companies are trying to keep there talent so the pay is getting better. Entry level engineers are starting in the high 40's.

[mdprovee]

I do basic Autocad stuff, all 2D. I draw all the pipes for water or sewer treatment plants for a general contractor. Everything from 60" and up to 1/2" tubing. Been doing it for 15 years. Also a small amount of buying, and other related things. Make 65k a year.

[MoeBawlz]

All great information guys, thank you all so much. Its a good thing Im a UG user then huh. Does it matter that i know solidworks, KeyCreator (aka cadKey), AutoCAD, and Inventor? As in do companies look at that and say oh hes versitle maybe or do they only care that i know their software?

[BigCat]

Mid 40's here.

Most companies are aware of the training involved on new CAD software. IMHO, the more variety the better. One, it shows you have a willingness to learn. Two, once you've mastered the 3D visualization, a new software will come much easier. I began on Pro-E in college, went to Solid Edge, then Solid Works and now I’m on Inventor/MDT/Mechanical/AutoCAD/GibbsCAM. I currently train products, do demos, etc. We also do consulting design for area companies. IMHO, consulting it the best; one week you could be designing a truck suspension, next week a pharmaceutical skid system. Keeps me on my toes as a designer. Something to think about.

Best of luck.
Luke

[MoeBawlz]

yah thers a lot to be said for that kind of oppourtunity. I personally am shying away from the idea of being a teacher based on the fact that I love to be challanged to the point where I have to rack my brain over things. And being a teacher just doesnt seem to have it there for me. The oppourtunity to go from one place to another and work in a variety of fields is pretty cool if you ask me.

[trapin]

I'll disagree with Tony on the pay scale thing. When I was a supplier (read that; "contract puke") inside GM I know that my pay scale was always above "most" of the GM directs I worked with. Since my move in '04, offsite and into a tier 1, (even though I am still a "contract puke") I have done very well and couldn't be happier with the pay OR the work... As far as job security goes I am glad I DON'T work inside GM anymore... I would be out on the street looking for work with 500 other designers as of 05 Jan.... I got out when the gettin' was good!
On that note the low to mid 40's will be a low to average scale depending on what aspect of the design world you are in. That is a respectable wage and shouldn't be a detriment to taking a new job.
Mark

Mark, you make some good points...but with all due respect I find it hard to believe that anyone working in the automotive field on Unigraphics is making more money in the contract houses then the direct employees are at GM. There were cases like that about 10 years ago (when you factored in all the overtime) but that's an era that has passed into history. Especially with all the layoffs that have taken place the past few years. I know of about 12 designers that I worked with back in the day at Modern Engineering that are making about 1/2 what I make at GM...and I would consider a few of them better than me. I've watched a lot of my very good friends who were contract workers be tapped on the shoulder recently, and the aftermath has not been pretty. My one friend Lee is making 18 bucks in hour at Intier. Pathetic. He's going back to school so he can leave the business. A lot of people are looking for jobs right now and they're taking anything the suppliers will throw at them. If you're rollin' in the dough where you're working now...consider yourself blessed.

[MoeBawlz]

How much experience does a company like GM look for in their designers? Do they look for engineering degrees or just good designers with experience?

[96Z28SS]

How much experience does a company like GM look for in their designers? Do they look for engineering degrees or just good designers with experience?

yeah kind of curious about this myself.

[astroracer]

Mark, you make some good points...but with all due respect I find it hard to believe that anyone working in the automotive field on Unigraphics is making more money in the contract houses then the direct employees are at GM. There were cases like that about 10 years ago (when you factored in all the overtime) but that's an era that has passed into history. Especially with all the layoffs that have taken place the past few years. I know of about 12 designers that I worked with back in the day at Modern Engineering that are making about 1/2 what I make at GM...and I would consider a few of them better than me. I've watched a lot of my very good friends who were contract workers be tapped on the shoulder recently, and the aftermath has not been pretty. My one friend Lee is making 18 bucks in hour at Intier. Pathetic. He's going back to school so he can leave the business. A lot of people are looking for jobs right now and they're taking anything the suppliers will throw at them. If you're rollin' in the dough where you're working now...consider yourself blessed.
You're right Tony... TODAYS market is glutted with UG designers since GM started it's layoffs in 2000. I am VERY blessed where I am at but the most important thing is, I am appreciated also, which is something I never got from GM.
They just laid off a bunch of my good friends in this last cut, all of them good designers, which will make the Tier 1 supplier positions even stronger because GM has no one to do all of the work now. With the "DE" thing going down the tubes there is going to be another major restructuring inside GM so keep your eyes and ears open my friend...
Mark

[astroracer]

How much experience does a company like GM look for in their designers? Do they look for engineering degrees or just good designers with experience?
An "Engineering" degree, in my experience with GM engineers, is NOT a requirement. I have worked with too many "engineers" who have English or History degrees and knew nothing about cars! Any kind of degree was okay and experience had nothing to do with it... As long as you had that slip of paper you can design cars to your hearts content... :seizure:
This is a lot of the problems with GM now-a-days... They have early retired, bought-out or laid off most of the people who "knew" anything. Anyone with any experience in engineering or design is gone so all of the new engineers and designers are making the same mistakes and having to re-learn all of the old knowledge that is gone now... That doesn't make for a fast, efficient design process.
Mark

[Little Bob]

I'm a Senior Designer for the second largest Engineering Firm in Connecticut. I design HVAC, Plumbing and Fire Protection for commercial and residential buildings. I have never gone to College. I just have 13 years of experience in the field. I also support the CAD department with in house education. My salary is in the $50 to $55 thousand a year.

I'm looking into a change in fields. I would like to do solid modeling for the machine trade or manufacturer. I'm teaching my self Solidworks at the moment and will be teaching myself Pro-E next.

[MoeBawlz]

I am definately looking into more and more design work now. I just gotta find a place where I can start somewhere and grow beyond a designer position. I have an oppourtunity at Liquid Container where I start as a surface designer for their products and have the ability to move up and around. But I want to know what else is out there.

So anyone have any jobs for me? ;-) no im serious.. :-)

[Bigblue73]

How did your interview go?

[MoeBawlz]

Thank you for asking, and actually it went great. I havnt heard back just yet, but i interviewed with two people and the one guy said "I wish I could hire you now but you dont graduate til May" and the other guy said "You didnt hear this from me but I will be putting in a recomendation to hire you and I think that Mike (the other guy i interviewed with) feels the same way"

So i will more than likely have a second interview, I was told with the Director of HR and the president of the company.

With this job I will be doing surface modeling, presentation design, maybe traveling with the company to present new products, and a whole other slew of stuff. I guess the one thing that really interested me is the Head of design I talked to. Young guy and he laid everything all out for me. Basiclly said that you can pave your own way here. you can create your own position all you have to do is start doing what you want to do. The company is relatively small at 2500 employees and they pull in somewhere around 300 mil a year or somethin is what he told me.

As of now everything is going great and im very excited about it. If anyone has any feedback feel free.

[MoeBawlz]

New update... I just got a phone call from the Head of Engineering. They are going to make an offer and the proposal should be ready in a week. Im so excited right now I dont even know what to do with myself. Anyways just thought Id keep the update goin.

[BlazerSpeed]

The only advice I can offer is this, be careful, there are alot fish fighting for food in this fish tank. I graduated about 2 years ago with a degree in Architectural Engineering. I taught myself AutoCAD, Photoshop, and 3D MAX; all my school offered us was a one semester class that was an over view of all three, ha. I've bounced around a few Arch firms, making between 32 and 35 a year. The market is flooded with CAD operators right now. And since graduation I've learned 3D VIZ, SketchUp, and some autoDesk tools. The degree that I have means nothing as far as I can tell. currently I'm a CAD operator in one of Chicago's largest Electrical Engineering firms. The only thing similar between this and what I went to school for is the fact that I'm using CAD. Right now I make 22.50 an Hour, (this is by no means bad) and I put in alot of over time. From what I can tell, the best area for job security right now is in industrial design and manufacturing.
-Derek-

[Bigblue73]

Way to go man...BTW 2500 employees is not a small operation. The 300 million in sales annually will tell that they have a solid foundation to ride "waves" on. Build your own success - Congrats. Keep us posted

Make sure you inquire about the following stuff after your receive the offer of employment (It may be included in your offer package). Healthcare insurance, profit sharing, short and long term disability, 401 K vestment schedule...all the good stuff. Healthcare is a biggy, maybe not now, but when you start a family...watch out, its nasty expensive.

Tony

[MoeBawlz]

Heres another question, is it unprofessional to still interview with other companies?

[Bigblue73]

Nope - Have you committed? No. Don't sell yourself short. You owe this to yourself for the 4 years of hell (fun) you just put yourself through.

The best place to be in is having two companies wanting you and offering you employment at the same time. Just like Barrett Jackson...you need two people to drive the price up. Your decision then becomes where does the future lead.

You need to see the opportunities that are out there now.

[uncledon]

man...sounds like i need to move out of the state of Kentucky if i want any money...geees.

[67cam406]

When I was in College, I started as a Cad Designer in the Architectural Field. Job#1, Was 9.00-10.00 hr. 1.5 years, #2 Went to a Job for 10.50 -11.50Hour, 1.5 years. After College #3 went to a to a job 13.00-20.00 3 years. So it took me like 6 Years to get above the 20.00 a hour mark As a CAD designer. When your from Small Town Indiana and Everyone around you works at the local Factory for 15.00 hr. that is pretty good.
My current Job #4 is as a Project Manager/Senior Designer at a Firm in Cincinnati, Ohio . Salary is 71,900. + I design homes in the Evenings For My own Private Thing, Which in 2005 it pulled me about. 32,000 extra.
So There are Opportunities in this Field to Expand. And as far as a college Education. I feel That is nice and all. but I would Take Someone with experience than a person with a piece of paper.
Early on, I got overlooked due to not have the paper in my hand.
The person that took the position was asking me Questions Like " "What is the Size of a Brick" No LIE!!!! this was from a Registered Architect, (3 years into his Career.)
So Learn every design software out there, and Companies would die to have someone with much knowledge.

Just my 2 cents. Good Luck,
Kevin.

[harshman]

Hey Moe,

I'll give you my history – short.

I always wanted to design houses. Ever since I was 11 I was reading F.L. Wright's theories and the like. After high school I went to follow up in collage in the design center. I drew many plans and technical docs as well. While I was in college I worked part time in an architectural firm as a handyman replacing light bulbs and misc. things for the owner. While I did that I got a good chance to see how a large firm worked and observe the attitudes there. Pure boredom was what I gathered. Late one night the owner called me into his office (thinking I was getting fired I was a bit nervous). He asked me why I wanted to draw. I gave him the usual. He told me to keep away from architecture and go into contracting – that is where the money is. He said that the lights are on late at night here and the pay is worse than what I was making as a handyman.

Long story short, I interviewed other guys in other firms and made my own decision.

One piece of advice is this – Do what you are passionate about and never do it for the money. If you follow your passion (meaning do the task very well), the money will soon come. Ask around, like what you are doing here and around the area you plan to work at, and make an informed decision based on that information.

[chet]

I am a mechanical designer/technologist for an aging pulp mill! I do anything from piping to structural. I make in the 60-65k CDN range and am in my 13th year. Not my ideal place of work (smelly, old place in an area with nothing else around) but the pay is good. I could be working in town for less though.

[MoeBawlz]

Bringing up an old thread again with some new news... So last I left off I was waiting for the formal offer to come through with Liquid Container. Well about a month later I got a call with a verbal offer, they were busy with building a new plant so my offer was put on the back burner, which is understandable. Now while I was unknowing of my offer I interviewed with several schools in educational positoins where I have been getting offer after offer which is absolutely sick. For about 2 weeks I had an interview, or a phone call for an interview every day. I have narrowed things down to two different schools and liquid container now.

Now here comes the hard part. The two schools both start at 44k a year and are based on a salary schedule so I would know exactally where I would stand each year in my salary, the high end of 25 years in being the 100k mark. And the pension in education is pretty sweet, 80% of your last four years averaged out which if you include coaching and other extra curriculars could end up being a 90k pension for the rest of your life.

While adversly at Liquid Container they offered 45k to start and I have NO IDEA where I would be in 5-10 years, they offer a 401k, profit sharing, good health benefits, and average dental and life.

So now the money is pretty even to start, but I would tend to think that I could grow more rapidly at a place like Liquid Container, but I dont know exactally where I would top out at. Would my highest paying postion there be making 60-75? Is there anyway I can ask this to the HR without sounding like a jackass?

[Matt@RFR]

Just be upfront with them. Tell them exactly what's going on...that you have offers from two other organizations, and you need to know alittle more about your possible future with each place.

If they get pissed or are squirmy about that, then you can safely assume you didn't want the job anyway. HR can make or break your work environment.

[trapin]

Hey this is all encouraging for a guy like me. I'm glad it seems like there's a healthy design industry out there in the United States for people on Unigraphics. I like to think I'm safe at GM for now. But you never know in the future. And if the bottem falls out here and all the job shops in the area are full....I'm going to have to look outside the state.

[96Z28SS]

There is plenty of UG out there. Thats all I have ever used since 1991.

[MoeBawlz]

just when i thought i had my mind made up... the company called and offered more money now, and im back to square one again.

[Matt@RFR]

You're thinking about this all wrong! They handed you the high ground. Don't be too greedy, but more money is more money any way you cut it.

[sunkistcamaro]

This is only my two cents but you should take the job that really interests you! You don’t want to pick a career that you could get bored of in five years. I couldn't see myself doing anything but designing. I get a rush out of creating something from nothing and seeing the final product work to my expectations.
Good luck!

[instro84]

i'm kinda in the same boat, i have an offer of about 65k to be a field service engineer but it would involve alot of travel, pretty without a degree. the other day i was just checking on monster and sent a resume threw 70k in for a level 3 engineer. got a call next morning had lunch with a member of the staff, andlloks like i'll be a instrumentation engineer for nothrup now working in new technologies. it'sgonna be cool i'll have my own gulfstream jet to play with a dream job for someone in my field with no degree:git:

[MoeBawlz]

Well this is why im completely torn... I love teaching, and love working with kids and helping others. At the same time I love working with new designs and comming up with new ideas. And this is definately not all about the money. I know that whatever I want to do ill be making enough money and I can live a good life with it. Its just a matter of what I will go to work each day to and be happy about what I do.

Instro, thats awesome. Actually I live right by Northrup in Illinois. Congrats on the job, how long have you been in your field for before you got these new offers?