Veterinarians build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and service orientation 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 Medical Dosimetrists (69%).
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 | Medical Dosimetrists | 69% | $147,470 | +13% | None |
| 2 | Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 68% | $103,410 | −21% | None |
| 3 | Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 66% | $107,310 | −18% | None |
| 4 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | 65% | $127,410 | −2% | None |
| 5 | Geneticists | 64% | $98,920Pay for the broader BLS group “Biological Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 6 | Molecular and Cellular Biologists | 63% | $98,920Pay for the broader BLS group “Biological Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | 62% | $115,160 | −11% | None |
| 8 | Clinical Research Coordinators | 62% | $167,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Natural Sciences Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Astronomers | 62% | $128,820 | −1% | None |
| 10 | Health Informatics Specialists | 61% | $105,850Pay for the broader BLS group “Computer Systems Analysts” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Veterinarians, median $130,100. 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 veterinarians (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.
69% skill match · $147,470 · +13% pay
Programming · Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring
68% skill match · $103,410 · −21% pay
Systems Analysis · Programming · Operations Monitoring
66% skill match · $107,310 · −18% pay
Instructing · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Medical Dosimetrists (69% skill match, median $147,470), Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists (68% skill match, median $103,410) and Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (66% skill match, median $107,310), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 2 pay more than veterinarians at the median. The biggest increases: Natural Sciences Managers (+29%, $167,220) and Medical Dosimetrists (+13%, $147,470).
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.