Motorboat Operators build operation and control, operations monitoring and equipment maintenance 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 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (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 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 86% | $58,640 | +23% | None |
| 2 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 83% | $60,600 | +28% | None |
| 3 | Hoist and Winch Operators | 83% | $56,450 | +19% | None |
| 4 | Locomotive Engineers | 81% | $81,410 | +71% | None |
| 5 | Dredge Operators | 80% | $49,640 | +4% | None |
| 6 | Riggers | 80% | $62,640 | +32% | None |
| 7 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 79% | $68,840 | +45% | None |
| 8 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | 78% | $49,880 | +5% | None |
| 9 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | 78% | $58,870 | +24% | None |
| 10 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 78% | $86,380 | +82% | None |
Compared with Motorboat Operators, median $47,520. 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 motorboat operators (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 · $58,640 · +23% pay
Installation
83% skill match · $60,600 · +28% pay
Installation · Complex Problem Solving · Programming
83% skill match · $56,450 · +19% pay
Time Management · Persuasion · Management of Personnel Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (86% skill match, median $58,640), Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers (83% skill match, median $60,600) and Hoist and Winch Operators (83% skill match, median $56,450), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 19 pay more than motorboat operators at the median. The biggest increases: Commercial Pilots (+159%, $123,220), Gas Plant Operators (+85%, $87,820) and Subway and Streetcar Operators (+82%, $86,380).
24 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.