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Know Your Worth / Career paths

1,000 paths. Find your next move.

Compare skills, employee pay, and freelance economics. Explore industries from optical and food to science, music, games, writing, and coaching.

Browse 30 sectors + cross-industry careers

241–288 of 1,000 careers

How to read these rates

Employee references are annual US median wages for the cited BLS occupation, which may cover several career paths. Freelance examples add $15,000 for benefits and $20,000 for business costs, then divide by 1,200 billable hours a year. Annual figures are rounded to the nearest $1,000 and hourly figures to the nearest dollar. Figures are before personal taxes, with no percentage fees. Open a guide to see the source or adjust the assumptions in the calculator.

Defense

Defense Logistics Planner

Employee reference
$82K/yr
Freelance example
$98/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Logisticians

Plan support and maintenance logistics for unclassified, nonoperational scenarios. Compare capacity, lead times, and service requirements while documenting assumptions that limit the usefulness of a proposed support arrangement.

View career → Defense Logistics Planner
Defense

Defense Manufacturing Engineer

Employee reference
$102K/yr
Freelance example
$115/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Industrial Engineers

Improve documented manufacturing workflows for unclassified components and support equipment. Connect process evidence, inspection needs, and production constraints while reserving technical release and controlled changes for authorized reviewers.

View career → Defense Manufacturing Engineer
Defense

Defense Procurement Analyst

Employee reference
$78K/yr
Freelance example
$94/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Buyers and purchasing agents

Support purchasing analysis for ordinary unclassified goods and services. Compare specifications, supplier evidence, and commercial terms while maintaining documented evaluation rules and leaving award decisions to authorized procurement officials.

View career → Defense Procurement Analyst
Defense

Defense Program Analyst

Employee reference
$102K/yr
Freelance example
$114/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Project management specialists

Evaluate schedules, dependencies, and reported progress in unclassified defense programs. Help decision-makers compare options using clear assumptions rather than treating planned milestones or available funding as guaranteed delivery.

View career → Defense Program Analyst
Defense

Defense Proposal Strategist

Employee reference
$77K/yr
Freelance example
$93/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Writers and authors

Help teams assemble coherent responses to public, unclassified defense opportunities. Align evidence, requirements, responsibilities, and review schedules while keeping unsupported capabilities or approval claims out of proposal narratives.

View career → Defense Proposal Strategist
Defense

Defense Quality Engineer

Employee reference
$102K/yr
Freelance example
$115/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Industrial Engineers

Review manufacturing and verification evidence for unclassified defense-related products. Translate requirements into quality questions and traceable findings while preserving designated authority for product acceptance and release.

View career → Defense Quality Engineer
Defense

Defense Reliability Engineer

Employee reference
$102K/yr
Freelance example
$115/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Industrial Engineers

Evaluate reliability evidence for unclassified equipment and support processes. Compare failure definitions, maintenance records, and uncertainty while distinguishing limited observations from a justified claim about future performance.

View career → Defense Reliability Engineer
Defense

Defense Supply Chain Analyst

Employee reference
$82K/yr
Freelance example
$98/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Logisticians

Assess sourcing and continuity risks for unclassified defense supply chains. Connect part requirements, supplier records, and delivery assumptions while respecting restrictions on technical information and authorized purchasing decisions.

View career → Defense Supply Chain Analyst
Defense

Defense Technical Writer

Employee reference
$90K/yr
Freelance example
$105/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Technical writers

Create clear unclassified technical documents for civilian support, training, or program administration. Maintain source permissions and review records so simplification does not expose controlled information or conceal important limitations.

View career → Defense Technical Writer
Defense

Defense Training Specialist

Employee reference
$69K/yr
Freelance example
$87/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Training and development specialists

Develop learning materials for unclassified civilian support and administrative tasks. Align objectives, practice activities, and assessments while maintaining subject-matter review and appropriate boundaries around restricted operational knowledge.

View career → Defense Training Specialist
Cross-industry

Design systems designer

Employee reference
$104K/yr
Freelance example
$116/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Web and digital interface designers

A design systems designer creates reusable interface patterns and rules for product teams. The role improves consistency and collaboration by connecting accessible components, design guidance, and practical governance across products.

View career → Design systems designer
Cross-industry

DevOps Engineer

Employee reference
$99K/yr
Freelance example
$112/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Improve how software moves from a developer change to a reliable release. DevOps engineers connect build automation, deployment controls, and operational feedback so teams can find failures and recover with less confusion.

View career → DevOps Engineer
Music & audio

Dialogue editor

Employee reference
$73K/yr
Freelance example
$90/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Sound engineering technicians

Assemble usable dialogue from production recordings while maintaining continuity, intelligibility, and transparent editorial decisions.

View career → Dialogue editor
Cybersecurity & IT

Digital Forensics Analyst

Employee reference
$129K/yr
Freelance example
$137/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Information Security Analysts

Examine authorized digital evidence using documented preservation and analysis practices. Distinguish observations from interpretations while respecting privacy, legal process, and the limits of conclusions drawn from incomplete records.

View career → Digital Forensics Analyst
Cybersecurity & IT

Disaster Recovery Planner

Employee reference
$102K/yr
Freelance example
$114/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Project management specialists

Coordinate documented technology recovery plans around business priorities and verified dependencies. Clarify responsibilities, recovery objectives, and exercise evidence without promising that a plan will prevent every loss or interruption.

View career → Disaster Recovery Planner
Optical & photonics

Dispensing Optician

Employee reference
$47K/yr
Freelance example
$69/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Opticians, Dispensing

Help customers obtain correctly specified eyewear by combining fitting measurements, frame and lens knowledge, order accuracy, and clear communication with the prescribing eye-care professional.

View career → Dispensing Optician
Cross-industry

Documentation specialist

Employee reference
$90K/yr
Freelance example
$105/hr

BLS · May 2025 · Technical writers

A documentation specialist organizes and maintains reliable instructions, procedures, and reference material. The role makes operational knowledge easier to find and update, reducing dependence on informal explanations and outdated files.

View career → Documentation specialist