Social workers build social perceptiveness, service orientation and problem-solving skills that therapy, teaching and community leadership roles rely on. Among the 25 careers below, the closest match for social workers is Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses at 88%, though that path requires nursing training.
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 | Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses | 88% | $97,550Pay for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Recreational Therapists | 84% | $61,960 | 0% | None |
| 3 | Clinical Nurse Specialists | 84% | $97,550Pay for the broader BLS group “Registered Nurses” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Occupational Therapists | 84% | $100,330 | +62% | None |
| 5 | Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | 82% | $77,570 | +25% | None |
| 6 | Speech-Language Pathologists | 81% | $97,870 | +58% | None |
| 7 | Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary | 80% | $80,250 | +30% | None |
| 8 | Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 80% | $80,340 | +30% | None |
| 9 | Special Education Teachers, Secondary School | 80% | $74,260 | +20% | None |
| 10 | Education Teachers, Postsecondary | 79% | $75,350 | +22% | None |
Compared with child, family, and school social workers, healthcare social workers and mental health and substance abuse social workers: employment-weighted median $61,878. 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 social workers’ 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.
Social work means understanding people under stress, coordinating services and solving problems with limited resources. O*NET rates social perceptiveness at 4.21 out of 5 for social workers so therapy and counseling roles rank high. Occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists use the same patient focus with a clinical specialty. Teaching and management roles build on your case planning. The main gaps are instructing and managing budgets.
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.
88% skill match · $97,550 (broader BLS group)
Instructing · Time Management · Management of Financial Resources
84% skill match · $61,960 · 0% pay
Instructing · Equipment Selection · Troubleshooting
84% skill match · $97,550 (broader BLS group)
Operations Monitoring · Troubleshooting · Instructing
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses (88%), Recreational Therapists (84%), Clinical Nurse Specialists (84%) and Occupational Therapists (84%), based on O*NET 31.0. The nursing roles need a nursing license, so recreational therapy and social and community service management are often faster moves.
19 of the 25 matches pay more than the $61,878 median for the social workers on this page. Occupational Therapists earn $100,330 (+62%), Genetic Counselors earn $100,040 (+62%) and Speech-Language Pathologists earn $97,870 (+58%), according to BLS May 2025 data.
By O*NET Job Zones, all 25 matches sit at a level a social worker with a master's degree already reaches. In practice, therapy and nursing roles need their own clinical degree and license, while roles such as Social and Community Service Managers (79% match) usually do not.
Within counseling and social services, the nearest roles are Marriage and Family Therapists (96% match), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors (91%) and Rehabilitation Counselors (87%). These keep you in helping work with a different focus, setting or caseload.