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Career change · from Construction Worker

Careers after Construction Worker: 19 jobs where your skills transfer.

Every related role O*NET lists for construction workers, scored by how closely the skill profile matches, what it pays and how much extra preparation it needs. Original analysis, sources below.

Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 · BLS OEWS May 2025
FromConstruction Worker
  • Speaking
  • Coordination
  • Operation and Control
  • Active Listening
94%93%92%
To19 related roles
  • Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
  • Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
  • Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Quick answer

The jobs closest to a Construction Worker's skills are Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall, Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters and Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (94%, 93% and 92% skill match). 13 related roles pay more without needing more preparation, led by Ironworker (+$15,660 median).

Transition matrix

Where your skills transfer

Data Skill match and pay change are our calculations from O*NET and BLS data (method below).

Destination roleSkill matchPay changePreparation
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall94% +$2,000 Same prep
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters93% +$430 Same prep
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers92% +$11,810 Same prep
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic92% −$950 Same prep
Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators91% +$6,220 Same prep
Pipelayer90% +$1,880 Same prep
Machine Feeders and Offbearers90% −$5,900 Same prep
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers89% +$9,900 Same prep
Ironworker88% +$15,660 Same prep
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand88% −$4,460 Same prep
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing87% −$3,740 Same prep
Mason85% +$15,000 Same prep
Hoist and Winch Operators85% +$9,330 Same prep
Heavy Equipment Operator83% +$12,730 Same prep
Sheet Metal Worker78% +$14,680 Same prep
Maintenance Worker76% +$13,730 More prep
Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining74% +$10,310 Same prep
Plumber68% +$16,680 More prep
Carpenter62% +$13,460 Same prep
Gap analysis

The three closest moves

Data Skills where the destination's O*NET level is at least half a point higher are listed as gaps.

Construction Worker → Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall94% skill match · +$2,000 median pay

Already strong: Operation and Control.

To build: Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Quality Control Analysis.

Construction Worker → Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters93% skill match · +$430 median pay

Already strong: Coordination.

To build: Systems Analysis, Mathematics, Management of Material Resources.

Construction Worker → Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers92% skill match · +$11,810 median pay

Already strong: Coordination.

To build: Systems Analysis, Operations Analysis, Mathematics.

A realistic plan

How to make the move

Advice

  1. Weeks 1 to 2Pick one destination

    Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall is the closest match at 94%. Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall pays more without more preparation.

  2. Weeks 2 to 6Close the top gap

    For Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall, the biggest gap is systems analysis. Build one piece of proof for it.

  3. Weeks 4 to 8Reframe your resume

    Lead with operation and control, written in the destination's language.

  4. From week 6Talk to people in the role

    Ask three insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and walls what they wish they had known before switching.

Method

How this page is built

Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared. Pay change compares the BLS national median annual wages (May 2025) of the two occupations. Preparation change compares O*NET Job Zones (1 = little preparation, 5 = extensive preparation). Destinations without BLS wage data or O*NET skill ratings are left out.

What this page can't tell you
  • Licensing or degree rules for a specific destination.
  • Whether employers in your area hire career changers.
  • Your own skills: the scores compare occupations, not people.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
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