Compare A Architectural Drafter ↔ B Civil Engineer

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Your route

1 move · +$33,540 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Civil Engineer: license depends on the work (Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Architectural Drafter to Civil Engineer +$33,540 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Civil Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88.
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Science, Operations Analysis, Complex Problem Solving

Side by side

All Civil Engineers: Texas median $96,860, $33,540 more a year than all Architectural and Civil Drafters ($63,320), every experience level.

Civil Engineer: 57% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2.2 times the share for Architectural Drafter (26%).

This level's pay

A No headline record for this level

B $89,256 a year H-1B filings, n = 65, TX+AZ, 2026

No published schedule lists both jobs, so no level-specific difference is shown.

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$63,320+$33,540$96,860

Gates on the route: license depends on the work (Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +15.1% Texas, 1,390 openings a year

B +13.0% Texas, 2,520 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

26%+32 pts57%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

1.4 / 5+0.51.9 / 5

Outdoors, all weather+0.85Outdoors, all weather: A 1.96, B 2.81
Very hot or cold+0.83Very hot or cold: A 1.41, B 2.24
Protective gear+0.81Protective gear: A 1, B 1.81
Hazardous equipment+0.75Hazardous equipment: A 1.2, B 1.95
Cramped space+0.56Cramped space: A 1.11, B 1.67

Degree

A Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 62%).

B Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 100%).

License

A No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

B Texas PE license (TBPELS) is required for the practice of engineering as defined in Occ. Code 1001.003; whether this job needs it depends on the work.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 25%).

B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 29%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Reading Comprehension
Judgment and Decision Making
Active Learning
Monitoring
Writing
Coordination

To build: 6

Science +1.63
Operations Analysis +1.50
Complex Problem Solving +0.76
Mathematics +0.76
Systems Analysis +0.75
Speaking +0.63

Make this your goal

Save Architectural Drafter to Civil Engineer as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.