Compare A Civil Engineer ↔ B Mechanical Design Drafter
ShareYour route
2 moves · -$17,480 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
Gates on this route
- Move 1, to Architectural Drafter: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
- Move 2, 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
Civil Engineer to Architectural Drafter -$33,540 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Architectural and Civil Drafters as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 2 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, $17,480 less a year than all Civil Engineers ($96,860), every experience level.
More than 40 hours a week: Mechanical Design Drafter 44%, Civil Engineer 57%.
This level's pay
A $89,256 a year H-1B filings, n = 65, 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
Gates on the route: Mechanical Design Drafter: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation
A +13.0% Texas, 2,520 openings a year
B -0.4% Texas, 300 openings a year
Over 40 h a week
Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first
1.9 / 5-0.41.5 / 5
- Outdoors, all weather-1.49Outdoors, all weather: A 2.81, B 1.32
- High places-0.92High places: A 2.19, B 1.27
- Very hot or cold-0.70Very hot or cold: A 2.24, B 1.54
- Protective gear-0.67Protective gear: A 1.81, B 1.14
- Cramped space-0.54Cramped space: A 1.67, B 1.13
Degree
A Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 100%).
B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 19% 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 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 29%).
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
- Operations Analysis
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Mathematics
To build: 0
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Save Civil Engineer 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. Free with an account.
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