Medical Equipment Preparers build quality control analysis, 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 Surgical Technologists (75%).
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 | Surgical Technologists | 75% | $64,650 | +36% | Certificate or associate |
| 2 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | 72% | $60,020 | +26% | None |
| 3 | Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians | 71% | $74,310 | +56% | Certificate or associate |
| 4 | Semiconductor Processing Technicians | 71% | $51,430 | +8% | None |
| 5 | Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders | 70% | $46,460 | −3% | None |
| 6 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 70% | $46,570 | −2% | None |
| 7 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | 69% | $80,110 | +68% | Certificate or associate |
| 8 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 69% | $50,270 | +5% | None |
| 9 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 69% | $43,220 | −9% | None |
| 10 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | 69% | $78,120 | +64% | None |
Compared with Medical Equipment Preparers, median $47,700. 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 medical equipment preparers (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.
75% skill match · $64,650 · +36% pay
Instructing · Negotiation · Management of Personnel Resources
72% skill match · $60,020 · +26% pay
Operation and Control · Systems Evaluation · Repairing
71% skill match · $74,310 · +56% pay
Instructing · Social Perceptiveness · Negotiation
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Surgical Technologists (75% skill match, median $64,650), Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (72% skill match, median $60,020) and Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (71% skill match, median $74,310), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 17 pay more than medical equipment preparers at the median. The biggest increases: Radiologic Technologists and Technicians (+68%, $80,110), Chemical Plant and System Operators (+64%, $78,120) and Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators (+62%, $77,320).
21 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.