Nursing Assistants build service orientation, social perceptiveness 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 Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (91%).
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 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | 91% | $64,400 | +52% | None |
| 2 | Registered Nurses | 84% | $97,550 | +131% | Bachelor's degree |
| 3 | Occupational Therapy Assistants | 84% | $72,300 | +71% | None |
| 4 | Occupational Therapy Aides | 84% | $39,160 | −7% | None |
| 5 | Paramedics | 82% | $60,600 | +43% | None |
| 6 | Medical Assistants | 82% | $45,690 | +8% | None |
| 7 | Psychiatric Technicians | 82% | $45,130 | +7% | None |
| 8 | Acute Care Nurses | 80% | $97,550Pay for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 9 | Physical Therapist Aides | 79% | $35,240 | −17% | None |
| 10 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 78% | $68,380 | +62% | None |
Compared with Nursing Assistants, median $42,260. 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 nursing assistants (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.
91% skill match · $64,400 · +52% pay
Negotiation · Operation and Control · Systems Analysis
84% skill match · $97,550 · +131% pay
Judgment and Decision Making · Systems Analysis · Complex Problem Solving
84% skill match · $72,300 · +71% pay
Negotiation · Systems Analysis · Persuasion
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (91% skill match, median $64,400), Registered Nurses (84% skill match, median $97,550) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (84% skill match, median $72,300), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 16 pay more than nursing assistants at the median. The biggest increases: Registered Nurses (+131%, $97,550), Respiratory Therapists (+95%, $82,280) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (+71%, $72,300).
22 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.