Compare A Electrical Drafter ↔ B Chemical Engineer

Compare with

Your route

2 moves

No pay difference shown for this route: mechatronics Engineer: OEWS pay for an 'All Other' group; not specific to this occupation.

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Mechatronics Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Mechatronics Engineer hold one), 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 2, 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
Electrical Drafter to Mechatronics Engineer
- O*NET lists Mechatronics Engineers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.79 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Mechatronics Engineer hold one), 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 2 Transfer move to the side
Mechatronics Engineer to Chemical Engineer
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.87 (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 Chemical Engineers: Texas median $132,750, $52,130 more a year than all Electrical and Electronics Drafters ($80,620), every experience level.

Chemical Engineer: 70% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.9 times the share for Electrical Drafter (36%).

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

$80,620+$52,130$132,750

Gates on the route: Mechatronics Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Mechatronics Engineer hold one), 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 +0.9% Texas, 220 openings a year

B +8.0% Texas, 160 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

36%+34 pts70%

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

1.5 / 5+0.52.0 / 5

Protective gear+1.04Protective gear: A 1.26, B 2.3
Hazardous conditions+0.78Hazardous conditions: A 2, B 2.78
Hazardous equipment+0.77Hazardous equipment: A 1.62, B 2.39
Outdoors, all weather+0.76Outdoors, all weather: A 2.11, B 2.87
High places+0.66High places: A 1.21, B 1.87

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 43% do).

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 6 months, up to and including 1 year (O*NET: 30%).

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

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Speaking
Active Listening
Monitoring
Writing
Coordination
Instructing

To build: 6

Science +2.24
Mathematics +1.00
Operations Analysis +1.00
Systems Analysis +1.00
Systems Evaluation +1.00
Operations Monitoring +0.75

Make this your goal

Save Electrical 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.