Compare A Architectural Drafter ↔ B Mechanical Design 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 Mechanical Design Drafter: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Architectural Drafter to Mechanical Design Drafter +$16,060 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Mechanical Drafters as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.77.
- Gates: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Operations Analysis

Side by side

All Mechanical Drafters: Texas median $79,380, $16,060 more a year than all Architectural and Civil Drafters ($63,320), 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

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

Gates on the route: 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 -0.4% Texas, 300 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

26%+18 pts44%

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

1.4 / 5+0.11.5 / 5

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

Degree

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

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

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

B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 30%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Active Learning
Active Listening
Complex Problem Solving
Mathematics
Reading Comprehension

To build: 1

Operations Analysis +1.26

Make this your goal

Save Architectural Drafter to Mechanical Design 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 1 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.