Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Pay and outlook shown for
New workers start near $98,640; experienced workers reach $149,310. About 5,150 people do this job in United States.
Job outlook
U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.
- Employment change
- -15%
- Openings a year
- 400
- Employed in 2024
- 5,700
Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Training: Long-term on-the-job training
Alamo Colleges programs that lead here
No program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.
Browse all programsSkills this career uses
The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Operation and Control3.8
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
What the work is
Operate or control nuclear reactors. Move control rods, start and stop equipment, monitor and adjust controls, and record data in logs. Implement emergency procedures when needed. May respond to abnormalities, determine cause, and recommend corrective action.
- Adjust controls to position rod and to regulate flux level, reactor period, coolant temperature, or rate of power flow, following standard procedures.
- Respond to system or unit abnormalities, diagnosing the cause, and recommending or taking corrective action.
- Monitor all systems for normal running conditions, performing activities such as checking gauges to assess output or the effects of generator loading on other equipment.
- Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities.
- Note malfunctions of equipment, instruments, or controls and report these conditions to supervisors.
- Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.
Education people in this job have
Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.
- High school or less50%
- Certificate16%
- Some college6%
- Associate degree13%
- Bachelor's degree15%
Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.
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