Compare A Mechanical Design Drafter ↔ B Mechanical Engineer
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1 move · +$33,030 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Mechanical Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Mechanical 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 1 Transfer move to the side
Mechanical Design Drafter to Mechanical Engineer +$33,030 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 = 0.90.
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Mechanical 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).
- Skills to build: Science, Operations Monitoring, Technology Design
Side by side
All Mechanical Engineers: Texas median $112,410, $33,030 more a year than all Mechanical Drafters ($79,380), every experience level.
More than 40 hours a week: Mechanical Engineer 45%, Mechanical Design Drafter 44%.
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 on the route: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Mechanical 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 +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
1.5 / 5+0.31.8 / 5
- Cramped space+0.66Cramped space: A 1.13, B 1.79
- Outdoors, all weather+0.64Outdoors, all weather: A 1.32, B 1.96
- Hazardous conditions+0.60Hazardous conditions: A 1.15, B 1.75
- Kneeling or crawling+0.51Kneeling or crawling: A 1.36, B 1.87
- Walking or running+0.50Walking or running: A 1.74, B 2.24
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: 53%).
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: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 24%).
Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5
You likely have: 6
- Active Learning
- Operations Analysis
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Coordination
- Time Management
To build: 6
- Science +1.87
- Operations Monitoring +1.24
- Technology Design +0.87
- Judgment and Decision Making +0.75
- Active Listening +0.63
- Reading Comprehension +0.63
Make this your goal
Save Mechanical Design Drafter 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 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.
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