Compare A Industrial Engineer ↔ B Mechanical Engineer

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Your route

1 move · -$2,108 a year, H-1B filings, n = 157, TX+AZ (median offers)

$101,314 (SOC 17-2112 and job title contains every word of 'Industrial Engineer' and no seniority word) to $99,206 (SOC 17-2141 and job title contains every word of 'Mechanical Engineer' and no seniority word), one published document for every stop. source

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Mechanical 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
Industrial Engineer to Mechanical Engineer -$2,108 H-1B filings, n = 157, TX+AZ
- O*NET lists Mechanical Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.90.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
- Skills to build: Science, Operations Analysis, Technology Design

Side by side

All Mechanical Engineers: Texas median $112,410, $7,850 more a year than all Industrial Engineers ($104,560), every experience level.

Industrial Engineer: 80% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.8 times the share for Mechanical Engineer (45%).

This level's pay

A $101,314 a year H-1B filings, n = 42, TX+AZ, 2026

B $99,206 a year H-1B filings, n = 157, TX+AZ, 2026

-$2,108 a year on one document, H-1B filings, n = 157, TX+AZ: SOC 17-2112 and job title contains every word of 'Industrial Engineer' and no seniority word $101,314 to SOC 17-2141 and job title contains every word of 'Mechanical Engineer' and no seniority word $99,206. source

Gates checked: No degree, license or hours gate on these moves in O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for each job.

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

$104,560+$7,850$112,410

Gates checked: No degree, license or hours gate on these moves in O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for each job.

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +20.3% Texas, 2,390 openings a year

B +18.6% Texas, 1,350 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

80%-35 pts45%

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

1.8 / 5+0.01.8 / 5

Hazardous equipment-0.54Hazardous equipment: A 2.55, B 2.01
Protective gear-0.52Protective gear: A 1.75, B 1.23
Climbing ladders+0.50Climbing ladders: A 1.13, B 1.63
Kneeling or crawling+0.37Kneeling or crawling: A 1.5, B 1.87
High places+0.32High places: A 1.44, B 1.76

Degree

A Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 74%).

B Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 53%).

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 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 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET: 42%).

B Most common related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 24%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

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

To build: 6

Science +1.63
Operations Analysis +1.00
Technology Design +1.00
Quality Control Analysis +0.87
Operations Monitoring +0.74
Judgment and Decision Making +0.63

Make this your goal

Save Industrial Engineer to Mechanical 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.