Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and social perceptiveness 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 Athletic Trainers (50%).
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 | Athletic Trainers | 50% | $62,520 | −82% | None |
| 2 | Orthotists and Prosthetists | 50% | $81,110 | −77% | None |
| 3 | Midwives | 45% | $65,790Pay for the broader BLS group “Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 45% | $103,410 | −71% | None |
| 5 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 45% | $107,310 | −70% | None |
| 6 | Surgical Assistants | 43% | $66,800 | −81% | None |
| 7 | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 42% | $47,380 | −87% | None |
| 8 | Geneticists | 42% | $98,920Pay for the broader BLS group “Biological Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Dental Assistants | 42% | $48,070 | −86% | None |
| 10 | Molecular and Cellular Biologists | 42% | $98,920Pay for the broader BLS group “Biological Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, median $352,220. 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 oral and maxillofacial surgeons (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.
50% skill match · $62,520 · −82% pay
Instructing · Service Orientation
50% skill match · $81,110 · −77% pay
Technology Design · Service Orientation · Instructing
45% skill match · $65,790 (broader BLS group)
Instructing · Service Orientation · Social Perceptiveness
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Athletic Trainers (50% skill match, median $62,520), Orthotists and Prosthetists (50% skill match, median $81,110) and Midwives (45% skill match, median $65,790), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
None of the 25 closest matches pays more than oral and maxillofacial surgeons at the national median (BLS May 2025). Higher-paying moves usually need more training.
25 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.