Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers build operation and control, operations monitoring and troubleshooting 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 Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers (88%).
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 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 88% | $60,600 | +3% | None |
| 2 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | 86% | $58,870 | 0% | None |
| 3 | Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors | 85% | $49,690 | −15% | None |
| 4 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 83% | $74,500 | +27% | None |
| 5 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | 82% | $59,850 | +2% | None |
| 6 | Locomotive Engineers | 82% | $81,410 | +39% | None |
| 7 | Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 81% | $46,420 | −21% | None |
| 8 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 81% | $68,840 | +17% | None |
| 9 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 79% | $86,380 | +47% | None |
| 10 | Pile Driver Operators | 79% | $73,300 | +25% | None |
Compared with Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, median $58,640. 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 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (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.
88% skill match · $60,600 · +3% pay
Instructing · Management of Personnel Resources · Complex Problem Solving
86% skill match · $58,870 · 0% pay
Management of Personnel Resources · Instructing · Complex Problem Solving
85% skill match · $49,690 · −15% pay
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers (88% skill match, median $60,600), Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders (86% skill match, median $58,870) and Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (85% 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 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at the median. The biggest increases: Subway and Streetcar Operators (+47%, $86,380), Locomotive Engineers (+39%, $81,410) and Roof Bolters, Mining (+34%, $78,540).
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.