Tapers build time management, 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 Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (71%).
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 | Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers | 71% | $68,840 | +1% | None |
| 2 | Riggers | 71% | $62,640 | −8% | None |
| 3 | Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | 70% | $61,390 | −10% | None |
| 4 | Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | 69% | $63,870 | −6% | None |
| 5 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | 68% | $95,320 | +40% | None |
| 6 | Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons | 67% | $61,290 | −10% | None |
| 7 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | 67% | $49,450 | −28% | None |
| 8 | Roof Bolters, Mining | 66% | $78,540 | +15% | None |
| 9 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | 66% | $67,890 | −1% | None |
| 10 | Hoist and Winch Operators | 66% | $56,450 | −17% | None |
Compared with Tapers, median $68,270. 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 tapers (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.
71% skill match · $68,840 · +1% pay
Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control · Judgment and Decision Making
71% skill match · $62,640 · −8% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Repairing
70% skill match · $61,390 · −10% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Complex Problem Solving
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers (71% skill match, median $68,840), Riggers (71% skill match, median $62,640) and Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters (70% skill match, median $61,390), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 7 pay more than tapers at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+42%, $96,710), Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (+40%, $95,320) and Locomotive Engineers (+19%, $81,410).
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.