Compare A Architectural Drafter ↔ B Chemical Engineer

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Your route

3 moves · +$69,430 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Civil Engineer: 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), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Environmental Engineer: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 3, 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
Architectural Drafter to Civil Engineer +$33,540 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Civil Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88.
- Gates: 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), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Science, Operations Analysis, Complex Problem Solving
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Civil Engineer to Environmental Engineer +$26,200 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Environmental Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 3 Transfer move to the side
Environmental Engineer to Chemical Engineer +$9,690 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Chemical Engineers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.81 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- 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 Chemical Engineers: Texas median $132,750, $69,430 more a year than all Architectural and Civil Drafters ($63,320), every experience level.

Chemical Engineer: 70% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2.7 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

$63,320+$69,430$132,750

Gates on the route: Civil Engineer: 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), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

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

B +8.0% Texas, 160 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

26%+44 pts70%

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

1.4 / 5+0.62.0 / 5

Hazardous conditions+1.57Hazardous conditions: A 1.21, B 2.78
Protective gear+1.30Protective gear: A 1, B 2.3
Hazardous equipment+1.19Hazardous equipment: A 1.2, B 2.39
Outdoors, all weather+0.91Outdoors, all weather: A 1.96, B 2.87
Very hot or cold+0.89Very hot or cold: A 1.41, B 2.3

Degree

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

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 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 25%).

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

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Active Listening
Monitoring
Writing
Coordination

To build: 6

Science +2.00
Operations Analysis +1.50
Systems Evaluation +1.13
Operations Monitoring +1.12
Complex Problem Solving +0.88
Quality Control Analysis +0.88

Make this your goal

Save Architectural 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.