Compare A Mechanical Engineer ↔ B Computer Hardware Engineer

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$51,450 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Electronic Design Engineer: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Computer Hardware 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 Electronic Design Engineer +$19,810 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Electronics Engineers, Except Computer as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.87.
- Gates: experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Speaking
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Electronic Design Engineer to Computer Hardware Engineer +$31,640 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Computer Hardware Engineers as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.93 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- 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 Computer Hardware Engineers: Texas median $163,860, $51,450 more a year than all Mechanical Engineers ($112,410), every experience level.

Computer Hardware Engineer: 76% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.7 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+$51,450$163,860

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

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

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

B +17.4% Texas, 230 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

45%+31 pts76%

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

1.8 / 5-0.51.3 / 5

Hazardous equipment-0.80Hazardous equipment: A 2.01, B 1.21
High places-0.69High places: A 1.76, B 1.07
Walking or running-0.65Walking or running: A 2.24, B 1.59
Outdoors, all weather-0.59Outdoors, all weather: A 1.96, B 1.37
Kneeling or crawling-0.59Kneeling or crawling: A 1.87, B 1.28

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: 93%).

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: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (O*NET: 28%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Complex Problem Solving
Active Learning
Judgment and Decision Making

To build: 2

Speaking +0.50
Writing +0.50

Make this your goal

Save Mechanical Engineer to Computer Hardware 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.