Hazardous Materials Removal Workers build coordination, judgment and decision making and time management 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 Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters (86%).
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 | Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | 86% | $61,390 | +24% | None |
| 2 | Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | 85% | $49,120 | −1% | None |
| 3 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | 83% | $49,690 | 0% | None |
| 4 | Recycling and Reclamation Workers | 82% | $40,240Pay for the broader BLS group “Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand” | Not compared | None |
| 5 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | 81% | $60,020 | +21% | None |
| 6 | Floor Sanders and Finishers | 79% | $50,440 | +2% | None |
| 7 | Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | 78% | $46,880 | −5% | None |
| 8 | Construction Laborers | 78% | $47,120 | −5% | None |
| 9 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 78% | $68,840 | +39% | None |
| 10 | Tree Trimmers and Pruners | 78% | $50,960 | +3% | None |
Compared with Hazardous Materials Removal Workers, median $49,450. 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 hazardous materials removal workers (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.
86% skill match · $61,390 · +24% pay
Operations Analysis · Judgment and Decision Making · Complex Problem Solving
85% skill match · $49,120 · −1% pay
Management of Financial Resources · Technology Design · Operations Analysis
83% skill match · $49,690 · 0% pay
Repairing · Equipment Maintenance · Troubleshooting
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters (86% skill match, median $61,390), Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (85% skill match, median $49,120) and Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (83% skill match, median $49,690), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 15 pay more than hazardous materials removal workers at the median. The biggest increases: Locomotive Engineers (+65%, $81,410), Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (+54%, $76,170) and Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (+39%, $68,840).
25 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.