Compare A Electrical Drafter ↔ B Electronic Design Engineer

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Your route

1 move · +$51,600 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Electronic Design Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Electronic Design 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), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Electrical Drafter to Electronic Design Engineer +$51,600 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Electronics Engineers, Except Computer as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.80.
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Electronic Design 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), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Science, Systems Analysis, Mathematics

Side by side

All Electronics Engineers, Except Computer: Texas median $132,220, $51,600 more a year than all Electrical and Electronics Drafters ($80,620), every experience level.

More than 40 hours a week: Electronic Design Engineer 42%, Electrical Drafter 36%.

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

$80,620+$51,600$132,220

Gates on the route: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Electronic Design 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), experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +0.9% Texas, 220 openings a year

B +19.5% Texas, 670 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

36%+6 pts42%

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

1.5 / 5-0.11.5 / 5

Outdoors, all weather-0.97Outdoors, all weather: A 2.11, B 1.14
Very hot or cold-0.69Very hot or cold: A 1.76, B 1.07
Cramped space+0.44Cramped space: A 1.26, B 1.7
Walking or running-0.37Walking or running: A 1.9, B 1.53
Kneeling or crawling+0.30Kneeling or crawling: A 1.25, B 1.55

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: 86%).

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: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 34%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Active Listening
Judgment and Decision Making
Writing
Active Learning
Quality Control Analysis
Coordination

To build: 6

Science +1.12
Systems Analysis +0.87
Mathematics +0.75
Operations Monitoring +0.75
Technology Design +0.75
Operations Analysis +0.63

Make this your goal

Save Electrical Drafter to Electronic Design 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.