Compare A Computer Hardware Engineer ↔ B Mechanical Engineer
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1 move · -$51,450 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Mechanical Engineer: 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
Computer Hardware Engineer to Mechanical Engineer -$51,450 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Mechanical Engineers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.84 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Side by side
All Mechanical Engineers: Texas median $112,410, $51,450 less a year than all Computer Hardware Engineers ($163,860), every experience level.
Computer Hardware Engineer: 76% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.7 times the share for Mechanical Engineer (45%).
This level's pay
A No headline record for this level
B $99,206 a year H-1B filings, n = 157, 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
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 +17.4% Texas, 230 openings a year
B +18.6% Texas, 1,350 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
1.3 / 5+0.51.8 / 5
- Hazardous equipment+0.80Hazardous equipment: A 1.21, B 2.01
- High places+0.69High places: A 1.07, B 1.76
- Walking or running+0.65Walking or running: A 1.59, B 2.24
- Outdoors, all weather+0.59Outdoors, all weather: A 1.37, B 1.96
- Kneeling or crawling+0.59Kneeling or crawling: A 1.28, B 1.87
Degree
A Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 93%).
B Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 53%).
License
A 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.
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: 28%).
B Most common related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 24%).
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 6
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Complex Problem Solving
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
To build: 3
- Science +0.87
- Mathematics +0.50
- Technology Design +0.50
Make this your goal
Save Computer Hardware Engineer to Mechanical 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 3 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.
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