Compare A Mechanical Design Drafter ↔ B Architectural Drafter

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Your route

1 move · -$16,060 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Architectural Drafter: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Architectural Drafter hold one).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Mechanical Design Drafter to Architectural Drafter -$16,060 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Architectural and Civil Drafters as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.77.
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Architectural Drafter hold one).
- Skills to build: Persuasion, Reading Comprehension

Side by side

All Architectural and Civil Drafters: Texas median $63,320, $16,060 less a year than all Mechanical Drafters ($79,380), every experience level.

Mechanical Design Drafter: 44% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.7 times the share for Architectural Drafter (26%).

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

$79,380-$16,060$63,320

Gates on the route: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Architectural Drafter hold one).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A -0.4% Texas, 300 openings a year

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

Over 40 h a week

44%-18 pts26%

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

1.5 / 5-0.11.4 / 5

Hazardous equipment-1.01Hazardous equipment: A 2.21, B 1.2
Outdoors, all weather+0.64Outdoors, all weather: A 1.32, B 1.96
Bending or twisting-0.63Bending or twisting: A 1.77, B 1.14
High places+0.37High places: A 1.27, B 1.64
Walking or running-0.23Walking or running: A 1.74, B 1.51

Degree

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

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

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 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 30%).

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

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Monitoring
Speaking
Writing
Active Learning

To build: 2

Persuasion +0.88
Reading Comprehension +0.50

Make this your goal

Save Mechanical Design Drafter to Architectural 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 2 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.