Veterinary Technologists and Technicians 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 Surgical Assistants (84%).
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 | Surgical Assistants | 84% | $66,800 | +41% | None |
| 2 | Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 83% | $38,150 | −19% | None |
| 3 | Phlebotomists | 81% | $45,230 | −5% | None |
| 4 | Medical Assistants | 81% | $45,690 | −4% | None |
| 5 | Respiratory Therapists | 78% | $82,280 | +74% | None |
| 6 | Radiation Therapists | 76% | $105,310 | +122% | None |
| 7 | Dental Assistants | 75% | $48,070 | +1% | None |
| 8 | Embalmers | 72% | $58,780 | +24% | None |
| 9 | Physical Therapist Assistants | 72% | $68,380 | +44% | None |
| 10 | Forensic Science Technicians | 71% | $72,060 | +52% | None |
Compared with Veterinary Technologists and Technicians, median $47,380. 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 veterinary technologists and technicians (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.
84% skill match · $66,800 · +41% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control
83% skill match · $38,150 · −19% pay
81% skill match · $45,230 · −5% pay
Service Orientation · Social Perceptiveness
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Surgical Assistants (84% skill match, median $66,800), Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (83% skill match, median $38,150) and Phlebotomists (81% skill match, median $45,230), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 15 pay more than veterinary technologists and technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Nurse Anesthetists (+399%, $236,590), Radiation Therapists (+122%, $105,310) and Registered Nurses (+106%, $97,550).
18 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. One usually needs a graduate degree: Nurse Anesthetists.
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.