Industrial Ecologists build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and systems analysis 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 Soil and Plant Scientists (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 | Soil and Plant Scientists | 89% | $78,850 | — | None |
| 2 | Water Resource Specialists | 87% | $167,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Natural Sciences Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Conservation Scientists | 84% | $73,010 | — | None |
| 4 | Environmental Engineers | 83% | $107,110 | — | None |
| 5 | Agricultural Engineers | 78% | $98,590 | — | None |
| 6 | Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers | 78% | $171,270Pay for the broader BLS group “Architectural and Engineering Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Environmental Economists | 77% | $124,720Pay for the broader BLS group “Economists” | Not compared | None |
| 8 | Water/Wastewater Engineers | 77% | $100,840Pay for the broader BLS group “Civil Engineers” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Animal Scientists | 77% | $68,940 | — | None |
| 10 | Bioinformatics Scientists | 77% | $98,920Pay for the broader BLS group “Biological Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Industrial Ecologists, median —. 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 industrial ecologists (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 · $78,850
Operation and Control · Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring
87% skill match · $167,220 (broader BLS group)
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Troubleshooting
84% skill match · $73,010
Operation and Control · Troubleshooting · Operations Monitoring
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Soil and Plant Scientists (89% skill match, median $78,850), Water Resource Specialists (87% skill match, median $167,220) and Conservation Scientists (84% skill match, median $73,010), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
None of the 25 closest matches pays more than industrial ecologists at the national median (BLS May 2025). Higher-paying moves usually need more training.
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.