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A Preview of the CAD Manager's Survey 2010

Reader feedback helped create this year's survey, which is almost ready for your input. The topics will include demographic data, CAD standards, training, and much more.

In the last issue of the CAD Manager's Newsletter, I mentioned that I wanted your feedback about the upcoming CAD Manager's Survey. As a result, a good number of you replied, sharing some great ideas that will be included in this year's survey.

In this issue, I'll describe the structure of the survey so you can start thinking about your answers, and I'll give you one last chance to share your ideas for improving it. Here goes.

Personal Data

I've received many requests for details about the educational background, age, experience, and gender of the average CAD manager, so I'll gather that information in this survey. Questions will include the following: 

• Are you male or female?
• What is your age?
• How long have you been a CAD manager?
• Do you have a two-year, four-year, or advanced college degree?

Compensation and Economics

This is the area that I receive the most questions about; it seems that everyone wants to know how their pay and benefits stack up against those of their peers. This year I hope to examine not just CAD management compensation, but also how poor global economies have affected job security for CAD managers. My hope is to draw some conclusions about how pay and economic indicators are linked so I can better predict future CAD management trends.

Questions regarding compensation will include the following:

• What is your total base pay?
• Has your pay been cut in the last year?
• Has your pay been frozen in the last year?
• Are you salaried or hourly?
• If hourly, do you receive overtime pay?
• How many hours per week do you normally work?
• Do you receive profit-sharing?
• Do you receive an annual bonus?
• Do you receive company-paid health insurance? (U.S. readers only)

Questions on current economic conditions will include the following: 

• Has your company had layoffs in the past year?
• Have your weekly hours been reduced? If so, how much?
• Is your workload increasing, decreasing, or staying the same?
• How secure is your current CAD management position?
• What has happened to the number of CAD users in the past year?
• Has your company stopped purchasing new hardware?
• Has your company stopped renewing software subscriptions?
• Has your company's training budget been cut?

Geography

Compensation is often dependent on location, so I need to know where CAD managers live. Of course, the industry you work in also plays a role in your compensation, so I'm expanding the questions about employer characteristics.

I get a lot of questions about salaries in particular regions, so my mission will be to correlate pay to geographic factors. I hope to get enough response from outside North America to draw some conclusions about international markets as well.

Questions will include the following:

• What country do you work in?
• Are you from a big city, a small city, a rural area, or an industrial area?
• What is your ZIP or postal code?
• What industry do you work in?
• Are you a prime contractor, subcontractor, or product supplier?
• Does your company operate internationally?
• Does your company have single or multiple locations?

Job Details

Of course I want to know all about the full-time, part-time, and managerial positions CAD managers work in.

Questions will include the following:

• Are you a full-time or part-time CAD manager?
• Do you feel pressure to be "billable" while you work?
• Do you feel supported by your senior management team?
• What department do you report to (engineering/IT/architecture/etc.)?

Questions just for part-time CAD managers include:

• Do you think your company needs a full-time CAD manager?
• Is CAD management a recognized part of your job?
• Are your opinions on CAD issues respected?
• Do you want to become a full-time CAD manager?

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