Nursing builds social perceptiveness, service orientation and coordination, skills that matter in research, teaching and therapy work. Of the 25 careers below, Genetic Counselors match nurses most closely at 70%, with a BLS May 2025 median of $100,040.
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 | Genetic Counselors | 70% | $100,040 | +3% | Graduate degree |
| 2 | Clinical Research Coordinators | 70% | $167,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Natural Sciences Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 69% | $107,310 | +10% | Graduate degree |
| 4 | Adapted Physical Education Specialists | 68% | $76,580Pay for the broader BLS group “Special Education Teachers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 5 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 68% | $72,300 | −26% | None |
| 6 | Coroners | 67% | $80,730Pay for the broader BLS group “Compliance Officers” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Medical Dosimetrists | 66% | $147,470 | +51% | None |
| 8 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 66% | $68,380 | −30% | None |
| 9 | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists | 66% | $95,480 | −2% | None |
| 10 | Nuclear Medicine Technologists | 66% | $101,370 | +4% | None |
Compared with Registered Nurses, median $97,550. 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 nurses’ work (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.
Nurses spend every shift reading patients, coordinating with doctors and making quick judgment calls. O*NET rates social perceptiveness at 4.12 out of 5 for nurses, which is why counseling, clinical research and health teaching roles rank high. Many of these jobs keep you close to patient care while cutting night shifts or physical strain. Some, such as Medical Dosimetrists, also lean on the attention to detail you use with medication and charting. Expect to add skills like equipment maintenance and budgeting.
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.
70% skill match · $100,040 · +3% pay
Complex Problem Solving · Negotiation
70% skill match · $167,220 (broader BLS group)
Management of Personnel Resources · Management of Material Resources · Management of Financial Resources
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
69% skill match · $107,310 · +10% pay
Instructing · Time Management · Equipment Maintenance
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Genetic Counselors (70%), Clinical Research Coordinators (70%) and Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (69%), based on O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge and work activities. These roles use your clinical knowledge and patient communication without the same bedside workload.
5 of the 25 matches pay more than the $97,550 median for registered nurses in BLS May 2025 data. Medical Dosimetrists lead at $147,470, a 51% increase, followed by Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary at $107,310 and Genetic Counselors at $100,040.
Yes, for most options on this page. 19 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than a registered nurse already has, based on O*NET Job Zones. Roles such as genetic counseling and teaching in health programs usually need a graduate degree, and 6 of the 25 fall in that group.
If you want to stay in nursing but change the setting, the nearest roles are Critical Care Nurses (95% match), Acute Care Nurses (94%) and Nurse Practitioners (87%). Nurse practitioner roles usually need a graduate degree, while the specialty roles build on the license you already hold.