Compare A Civil Engineering Technician ↔ B Computer Hardware Engineer

Compare with

Your route

2 moves · +$104,470 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Controls Technician: license depends on the work (Texas: power wiring needs a TDLR electrician license unless exempt: plant employees in petrochemical and oil and gas (1305.003(a)(14)), low-voltage controls (a)(12), in-house maintenance (a)(8)).
Move 2, to Computer Hardware Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Computer Hardware Engineer hold one).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Civil Engineering Technician to Controls Technician +$14,660 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.59 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: license depends on the work (Texas: power wiring needs a TDLR electrician license unless exempt: plant employees in petrochemical and oil and gas (1305.003(a)(14)), low-voltage controls (a)(12), in-house maintenance (a)(8)).
Move 2 Transfer move to the side
Controls Technician to Computer Hardware Engineer +$89,810 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 = 0.82 (O*NET related occupation beyond the 6 drawn laterals).
- Gates: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Computer Hardware Engineer hold one).

Side by side

All Computer Hardware Engineers: Texas median $163,860, $104,470 more a year than all Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians ($59,390), every experience level.

Computer Hardware Engineer: 76% work more than 40 hours a week, about 5.1 times the share for Civil Engineering Technician (15%).

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

$59,390+$104,470$163,860

Gates on the route: Controls Technician: license depends on the work (Texas: power wiring needs a TDLR electrician license unless exempt: plant employees in petrochemical and oil and gas (1305.003(a)(14)), low-voltage controls (a)(12), in-house maintenance (a)(8)); Computer Hardware Engineer: bachelor's degree (O*NET: most in Computer Hardware Engineer hold one).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +10.0% Texas, 560 openings a year

B +17.4% Texas, 230 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

15%+61 pts76%

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

2.1 / 5-0.71.3 / 5

Outdoors, all weather-2.15Outdoors, all weather: A 3.52, B 1.37
Hazardous equipment-1.71Hazardous equipment: A 2.92, B 1.21
Very hot or cold-1.34Very hot or cold: A 2.64, B 1.3
Bending or twisting-0.73Bending or twisting: A 2.05, B 1.32
Walking or running-0.68Walking or running: A 2.27, B 1.59

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 18% do).

B Most people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher (O*NET: 93%).

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 8 years, up to and including 10 years (O*NET: 31%).

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
Mathematics
Coordination
Monitoring

To build: 6

Active Learning +0.87
Complex Problem Solving +0.76
Operations Analysis +0.76
Systems Evaluation +0.63
Writing +0.63
Instructing +0.62

Make this your goal

Save Civil Engineering Technician 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 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.