Compare A Chemical Engineer ↔ B Mechanical Design Drafter

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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: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
Move 2, to Mechanical Design Drafter: 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
Chemical Engineer to Mechatronics Engineer
- O*NET lists Mechatronics Engineers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.87.
- Gates: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Operation and Control, Writing
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Mechatronics Engineer to Mechanical Design Drafter
- O*NET lists Mechanical Drafters as a related occupation (Supplemental); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.91 (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 Mechanical Drafters: Texas median $79,380, $53,370 less a year than all Chemical Engineers ($132,750), every experience level.

Chemical Engineer: 70% work more than 40 hours a week, about 1.6 times the share for Mechanical Design Drafter (44%).

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

$132,750-$53,370$79,380

Gates on the route: Mechatronics Engineer: experience: over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +8.0% Texas, 160 openings a year

B -0.4% Texas, 300 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

70%-26 pts44%

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

2.0 / 5-0.51.5 / 5

Hazardous conditions-1.63Hazardous conditions: A 2.78, B 1.15
Outdoors, all weather-1.55Outdoors, all weather: A 2.87, B 1.32
Protective gear-1.16Protective gear: A 2.3, B 1.14
Very hot or cold-0.76Very hot or cold: A 2.3, B 1.54
High places-0.60High places: A 1.87, B 1.27

Degree

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

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 19% do).

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 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).

Experience

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

B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 30%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Critical Thinking
Operations Analysis
Active Learning
Active Listening
Complex Problem Solving
Mathematics

To build: 0

Make this your goal

Save Chemical Engineer to Mechanical Design Drafter 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. Free with an account.