Telecommunications Engineering Specialists build complex problem solving, coordination and judgment and decision making 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 Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists (75%).
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 | Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists | 75% | $130,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Electronics Engineers, Except Computer” | Not compared | Bachelor's degree |
| 2 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | 73% | $106,730 | — | None |
| 3 | Electrical and Electronics Drafters | 73% | $76,870 | — | None |
| 4 | Construction and Building Inspectors | 72% | $74,690 | — | None |
| 5 | Energy Auditors | 72% | $74,690Pay for the broader BLS group “Construction and Building Inspectors” | Not compared | None |
| 6 | Computer Hardware Engineers | 71% | $161,740 | — | Bachelor's degree |
| 7 | Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 70% | $74,510 | — | None |
| 8 | Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 70% | $64,950 | — | None |
| 9 | Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 69% | $66,120 | — | None |
| 10 | Traffic Technicians | 69% | $59,090 | — | None |
Compared with Telecommunications Engineering Specialists, median —. 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 telecommunications engineering specialists (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.
75% skill match · $130,220 (broader BLS group)
Programming · Management of Personnel Resources
73% skill match · $106,730
Operation and Control · Management of Personnel Resources · Operations Monitoring
73% skill match · $76,870
Judgment and Decision Making
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists (75% skill match, median $130,220), Power Distributors and Dispatchers (73% skill match, median $106,730) and Electrical and Electronics Drafters (73% skill match, median $76,870), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
None of the 25 closest matches pays more than telecommunications engineering specialists at the national median (BLS May 2025). Higher-paying moves usually need more training.
16 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.