Compare A Mechanical Design Drafter ↔ B Chemical Engineer

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$53,370 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Materials Development Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Materials Development 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 Chemical 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
Mechanical Design Drafter to Materials Development Engineer +$38,320 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.87 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Materials Development 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
Materials Development Engineer to Chemical Engineer +$15,050 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Chemical Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.94.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
- Skills to build: Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation

Side by side

All Chemical Engineers: Texas median $132,750, $53,370 more a year than all Mechanical Drafters ($79,380), every experience level.

Chemical Engineer: 70% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.6 times the share for Mechanical Design Drafter (44%).

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

$79,380+$53,370$132,750

Gates on the route: Materials Development Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Materials Development 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 -0.4% Texas, 300 openings a year

B +8.0% Texas, 160 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

44%+26 pts70%

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

1.5 / 5+0.52.0 / 5

Hazardous conditions+1.63Hazardous conditions: A 1.15, B 2.78
Outdoors, all weather+1.55Outdoors, all weather: A 1.32, B 2.87
Protective gear+1.16Protective gear: A 1.14, B 2.3
Very hot or cold+0.76Very hot or cold: A 1.54, B 2.3
High places+0.60High places: A 1.27, B 1.87

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

B Most common related work experience: none (O*NET: 30%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Operations Analysis
Active Listening
Monitoring
Writing
Coordination
Instructing

To build: 6

Science +2.24
Systems Analysis +1.13
Systems Evaluation +1.13
Operations Monitoring +1.12
Judgment and Decision Making +0.88
Complex Problem Solving +0.75

Make this your goal

Save Mechanical Design Drafter to Chemical 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.