Compare A Civil Engineering Technician ↔ B Mechanical Design Drafter

Compare with

Your route

1 move · +$19,990 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Mechanical Design Drafter: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Civil Engineering Technician to Mechanical Design Drafter +$19,990 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Mechanical Drafters as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.79.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
- Skills to build: Operations Analysis

Side by side

All Mechanical Drafters: Texas median $79,380, $19,990 more a year than all Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($59,390), every experience level.

Mechanical Design Drafter: 44% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2.9 times the share for Civil Engineering Technician (15%).

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

$59,390+$19,990$79,380

Gates checked: No degree, license or hours gate on these moves in O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for each job.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +10.0% Texas, 560 openings a year

B -0.4% Texas, 300 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

15%+29 pts44%

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

2.1 / 5-0.61.5 / 5

Outdoors, all weather-2.20Outdoors, all weather: A 3.52, B 1.32
Very hot or cold-1.10Very hot or cold: A 2.64, B 1.54
Hazardous equipment-0.71Hazardous equipment: A 2.92, B 2.21
Cramped space-0.65Cramped space: A 1.78, B 1.13
Hazardous conditions-0.63Hazardous conditions: A 1.78, B 1.15

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 18% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 19% do).

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 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).

Experience

A Most common related work experience: over 8 years, up to and including 10 years (O*NET: 31%).

B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 30%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Complex Problem Solving
Mathematics
Reading Comprehension
Speaking

To build: 1

Operations Analysis +0.76

Make this your goal

Save Civil Engineering Technician to Mechanical Design Drafter 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 1 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.