Microbiologists build judgment and decision making, complex problem solving and coordination 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 Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health (78%).
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 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 78% | $82,220 | −7% | None |
| 2 | Chemists | 77% | $91,240 | +4% | None |
| 3 | Medical Dosimetrists | 76% | $147,470 | +68% | None |
| 4 | Materials Scientists | 75% | $117,790 | +34% | None |
| 5 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 75% | $101,920 | +16% | None |
| 6 | Bioinformatics Technicians | 74% | $81,490Pay for the broader BLS group “Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Validation Engineers | 74% | $102,440Pay for the broader BLS group “Industrial Engineers” | Not compared | None |
| 8 | Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers | 74% | $109,370 | +24% | None |
| 9 | Agricultural Engineers | 73% | $98,590 | +12% | None |
| 10 | Materials Engineers | 73% | $112,860 | +28% | None |
Compared with Microbiologists, median $87,990. 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 microbiologists (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.
78% skill match · $82,220 · −7% pay
Coordination · Complex Problem Solving · Negotiation
77% skill match · $91,240 · +4% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Troubleshooting
76% skill match · $147,470 · +68% pay
Time Management · Social Perceptiveness · Persuasion
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health (78% skill match, median $82,220), Chemists (77% skill match, median $91,240) and Medical Dosimetrists (76% skill match, median $147,470), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 15 pay more than microbiologists at the median. The biggest increases: Medical Dosimetrists (+68%, $147,470), Petroleum Engineers (+65%, $144,910) and Nuclear Engineers (+52%, $133,970).
24 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. One usually needs a graduate degree: Nanosystems Engineers.
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.