Compare A Mechanical Engineer ↔ B Chemical Engineer

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$20,340 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Materials Development Engineer: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
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
Mechanical Engineer to Materials Development Engineer +$5,290 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- Skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.88 (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).
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Materials Development Engineer to Chemical Engineer +$15,050 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Chemical Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Short); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.94.
- Gates checked: no degree, license or hours gate found (O*NET 31.0 and the licensing agencies checked for this job).
- Skills to build: Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation

Side by side

All Chemical Engineers: Texas median $132,750, $20,340 more a year than all Mechanical Engineers ($112,410), every experience level.

Chemical Engineer: 70% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.5 times the share for Mechanical Engineer (45%).

This level's pay

A $99,206 a year H-1B filings, n = 157, 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

$112,410+$20,340$132,750

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 +18.6% Texas, 1,350 openings a year

B +8.0% Texas, 160 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

45%+24 pts70%

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

1.8 / 5+0.22.0 / 5

Protective gear+1.07Protective gear: A 1.23, B 2.3
Hazardous conditions+1.03Hazardous conditions: A 1.75, B 2.78
Outdoors, all weather+0.91Outdoors, all weather: A 1.96, B 2.87
Very hot or cold+0.47Very hot or cold: A 1.83, B 2.3
Hazardous equipment+0.38Hazardous equipment: A 2.01, B 2.39

Degree

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

B Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 100%).

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 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 24%).

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

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Complex Problem Solving
Reading Comprehension
Judgment and Decision Making
Mathematics
Operations Analysis

To build: 2

Systems Analysis +0.50
Systems Evaluation +0.50

Make this your goal

Save Mechanical Engineer 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 2 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.