Compare A Civil Engineering Technician ↔ B Senior Electrical Engineer

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Your route

4 moves

No pay difference shown for this route: no single published pay schedule names every stop, and the occupation medians are not like for like on every move.

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Architectural Drafter: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Architectural Drafter hold one).
Move 2, to Facilities Engineer (Electrical): 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 3, to Electrical Engineer: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 4, to Senior Electrical 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
Civil Engineering Technician to Architectural Drafter
- O*NET lists Architectural and Civil Drafters as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.86.
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Architectural Drafter hold one).
- Skills to build: Persuasion
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Architectural Drafter to Facilities Engineer (Electrical)
- O*NET lists Electrical Engineers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.80 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- 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).
Move 3 Transfer move to the side
Facilities Engineer (Electrical) to Electrical Engineer
- Same O*NET occupation (17-2071.00 Electrical Engineers): O*NET lists both job titles under it; same tasks and skills data.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
Move 4 M4 step up on Electrical engineering
Electrical Engineer to Senior Electrical Engineer
- Next rung on 'Electrical engineering' (Skilled to Senior).
- 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 Electrical Engineers: Texas median $129,450, $70,060 more a year than all Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($59,390), every experience level.

Senior Electrical Engineer: 58% work more than 40 hours a week, about 3.9 times the share for Civil Engineering Technician (15%).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$59,390+$70,060$129,450

Gates on the route: Architectural Drafter: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Architectural Drafter hold one); Facilities Engineer (Electrical): 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 +10.0% Texas, 560 openings a year

B +14.0% Texas, 1,060 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

15%+43 pts58%

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

2.1 / 5-0.12.0 / 5

Outdoors, all weather-1.31Outdoors, all weather: A 3.52, B 2.21
Hazardous equipment-0.74Hazardous equipment: A 2.92, B 2.18
Hazardous conditions+0.46Hazardous conditions: A 1.78, B 2.24
Protective gear+0.29Protective gear: A 1.28, B 1.57
Keeping balance-0.26Keeping balance: A 1.65, B 1.39

Degree

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

B Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 89%).

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 8 years, up to and including 10 years (O*NET: 31%).

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
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Monitoring
Mathematics
Coordination

To build: 6

Active Learning +1.00
Quality Control Analysis +0.88
Writing +0.87
Complex Problem Solving +0.76
Learning Strategies +0.75
Management of Personnel Resources +0.75

Make this your goal

Save Civil Engineering Technician to Senior Electrical 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.