Compare A Electrical Drafter ↔ B Civil Engineer

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Your route

2 moves

No pay difference shown for this route: wind Energy Engineer: OEWS pay for an 'All Other' group; not specific to this occupation.

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Wind Energy Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Wind Energy Engineer hold one), 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).
Move 2, to Civil 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
Electrical Drafter to Wind Energy Engineer
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Wind Energy Engineer hold one), 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).
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Wind Energy Engineer to Civil Engineer
- O*NET lists Civil Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.91.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
- Skills to build: Time Management, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving

Side by side

All Civil Engineers: Texas median $96,860, $16,240 more a year than all Electrical and Electronics Drafters ($80,620), every experience level.

Civil Engineer: 57% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.6 times the share for Electrical Drafter (36%).

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

$80,620+$16,240$96,860

Gates on the route: Wind Energy Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Wind Energy Engineer hold one), 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).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +0.9% Texas, 220 openings a year

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

Over 40 h a week

36%+21 pts57%

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

1.5 / 5+0.31.9 / 5

High places+0.98High places: A 1.21, B 2.19
Outdoors, all weather+0.70Outdoors, all weather: A 2.11, B 2.81
Climbing ladders+0.67Climbing ladders: A 1.09, B 1.76
Protective gear+0.55Protective gear: A 1.26, B 1.81
Hazardous conditions-0.52Hazardous conditions: A 2, B 1.48

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 43% do).

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 6 months, up to and including 1 year (O*NET: 30%).

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

Judgment and Decision Making
Active Learning
Monitoring
Writing
Coordination
Systems Evaluation

To build: 6

Science +1.87
Mathematics +1.13
Operations Analysis +1.00
Systems Analysis +0.87
Speaking +0.63
Time Management +0.63

Make this your goal

Save Electrical 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.