Bridge and Lock Tenders build coordination, judgment and decision making and operation and control 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 Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (89%).
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 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 89% | $68,840 | +19% | None |
| 2 | Locomotive Engineers | 84% | $81,410 | +41% | None |
| 3 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 84% | $60,600 | +5% | None |
| 4 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 82% | $78,000 | +35% | None |
| 5 | Hoist and Winch Operators | 82% | $56,450 | −2% | None |
| 6 | Motorboat Operators | 78% | $47,520 | −18% | None |
| 7 | Highway Maintenance Workers | 76% | $50,260 | −13% | None |
| 8 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 76% | $86,380 | +50% | None |
| 9 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | 74% | $92,460 | +60% | Certificate or associate |
| 10 | Sailors and Marine Oilers | 74% | $51,520 | −11% | None |
Compared with Bridge and Lock Tenders, median $57,700. 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 bridge and lock tenders (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.
89% skill match · $68,840 · +19% pay
Management of Material Resources · Management of Financial Resources · Operations Monitoring
84% skill match · $81,410 · +41% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Management of Financial Resources
84% skill match · $60,600 · +5% pay
Repairing · Equipment Selection · Equipment Maintenance
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (89% skill match, median $68,840), Locomotive Engineers (84% skill match, median $81,410) and Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers (84% skill match, median $60,600), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 19 pay more than bridge and lock tenders at the median. The biggest increases: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+65%, $95,320), Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (+60%, $92,460) and Gas Plant Operators (+52%, $87,820).
23 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
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.