Biological Technicians build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and coordination skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians (78%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 78% | $66,120Pay for the broader BLS group “Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Chemists | 78% | $91,240 | +59% | None |
| 3 | Microbiologists | 74% | $87,990 | +53% | None |
| 4 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 70% | $101,370 | +76% | None |
| 5 | Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 70% | $59,920 | +4% | None |
| 6 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | 70% | $80,110 | +39% | None |
| 7 | Neurodiagnostic Technologists | 69% | $50,290Pay for the broader BLS group “Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 8 | Bioinformatics Technicians | 69% | $81,490Pay for the broader BLS group “Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Environmental Compliance Inspectors | 67% | $80,730Pay for the broader BLS group “Compliance Officers” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | 67% | $95,480 | +66% | None |
Compared with Biological Technicians, median $57,510. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as biological technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
78% skill match · $66,120 (broader BLS group)
Repairing · Equipment Maintenance · Technology Design
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
78% skill match · $91,240 · +59% pay
Operations Analysis · Instructing · Management of Personnel Resources
74% skill match · $87,990 · +53% pay
Operations Analysis · Management of Personnel Resources · Service Orientation
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians (78% skill match, median $66,120), Chemists (78% skill match, median $91,240) and Microbiologists (74% skill match, median $87,990), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 16 pay more than biological technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Medical Dosimetrists (+156%, $147,470), Biochemists and Biophysicists (+122%, $127,410) and Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (+114%, $122,890).
21 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 4 usually need a graduate degree: Molecular and Cellular Biologists, Geneticists and Biochemists and Biophysicists.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.