Compare A Mechanical Engineer ↔ B Civil Engineering Technician

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · -$53,020 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Industrial Engineer: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Civil Engineering Technician: 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 Engineer to Industrial Engineer -$7,850 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Industrial Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
- Gates: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Speaking
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Industrial Engineer to Civil Engineering Technician -$45,170 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88 (one of the 3 most similar occupations, r >= 0.6).
- 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 Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians: Texas median $59,390, $53,020 less a year than all Mechanical Engineers ($112,410), every experience level.

Mechanical Engineer: 45% work more than 40 hours a week, about 3 times the share for Civil Engineering Technician (15%).

This level's pay

A $99,206 a year H-1B filings, n = 157, TX+AZ, 2026

B No headline record for this level

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

$112,410-$53,020$59,390

Gates on the route: Industrial Engineer: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +18.6% Texas, 1,350 openings a year

B +10.0% Texas, 560 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

45%-30 pts15%

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

1.8 / 5+0.32.1 / 5

Outdoors, all weather+1.56Outdoors, all weather: A 1.96, B 3.52
Hazardous equipment+0.91Hazardous equipment: A 2.01, B 2.92
Very hot or cold+0.81Very hot or cold: A 1.83, B 2.64
Bending or twisting+0.34Bending or twisting: A 1.71, B 2.05
Keeping balance+0.21Keeping balance: A 1.44, B 1.65

Degree

A Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 53%).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 18% do).

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 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 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 24%).

B Most common related work experience: over 8 years, up to and including 10 years (O*NET: 31%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Mathematics
Speaking
Monitoring

To build: 0

Make this your goal

Save Mechanical Engineer to Civil Engineering Technician 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. Free with an account.