Commercial Pilots build operation and control, operations monitoring and judgment and decision making 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 Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (74%).
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 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | 74% | $92,460 | −25% | None |
| 2 | Ship Engineers | 72% | $109,530 | −11% | None |
| 3 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | 71% | $106,730 | −13% | None |
| 4 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | 69% | $122,890 | 0% | None |
| 5 | Aviation Inspectors | 67% | $92,100Pay for the broader BLS group “Transportation Inspectors” | Not compared | None |
| 6 | Nuclear Monitoring Technicians | 65% | $110,240Pay for the broader BLS group “Nuclear Technicians” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Locomotive Engineers | 64% | $81,410 | −34% | None |
| 8 | Nuclear Technicians | 64% | $110,240 | −11% | None |
| 9 | Hydroelectric Production Managers | 62% | $126,060Pay for the broader BLS group “Industrial Production Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 10 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 62% | $78,000 | −37% | None |
Compared with Commercial Pilots, median $123,220. 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 commercial pilots (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.
74% skill match · $92,460 · −25% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Equipment Selection · Repairing
72% skill match · $109,530 · −11% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Installation
71% skill match · $106,730 · −13% pay
Negotiation · Operations Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (74% skill match, median $92,460), Ship Engineers (72% skill match, median $109,530) and Power Distributors and Dispatchers (71% skill match, median $106,730), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
None of the 25 closest matches pays more than commercial pilots at the national median (BLS May 2025). Higher-paying moves usually need more training.
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.