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Nuclear Power Reactor Operators: Career Profile

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.

What Tasks Do Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of nuclear power reactor operators include:

• Operate nuclear power reactors in accordance with policies and procedures to protect workers from radiation and to ensure environmental safety.
• Adjust controls to position rod and to regulate flux level, reactor period, coolant temperature, or rate of power flow, following standard procedures.
• Develop or implement actions such as lockouts, tagouts, or clearances to allow equipment to be safely repaired.
• 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.
• Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.
• Record operating data, such as the results of surveillance tests.
• Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities.

What Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Need to Know

Top nuclear power reactor operators combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Top Knowledge Areas

Other Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Job Titles

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

• Control Operator
• Control Room Agent
• Control Room Officer
• Control Room Operator
• Licensed Nuclear Control Room Operator
• Licensed Reactor Operator
• Nuclear Control Operator
• Nuclear Control Room Non-Licensed Operator

Job Outlook

There are about 187,758 nuclear power reactor operators working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +14.1% over the projection horizon.

How Much Do Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Make?

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$44,906
Hourly median	$21.59
10th percentile	$30,709
25th percentile	$37,808
75th percentile	$52,005
90th percentile	$59,104

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Pay by State

State	Annual median salary
New York	$131,520
Ohio	$124,030
South Carolina	$112,070
Nebraska	$111,300
North Carolina	$107,200

Pay by U.S. Region

Compensation for nuclear power reactor operators shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Middle Atlantic	$131,520	17.2%	0.79
Plains States	$111,300	4.9%	2.12
Southeast	$109,561	40.5%	2.79
Great Lakes	$30,499	37.4%	1.72

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	NC	$111,210

Industry Breakdown

The largest employers of nuclear power reactor operators are concentrated in the following sectors:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Utilities	4,460	$122,810
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	460	$113,130
Management of Companies and Enterprises	50	$122,470
Educational Services	30	$71,570

Below are examples of industries where nuclear power reactor operators work:

Software Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Use

• Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
• Development environment software: Microsoft Azure software (hot technology)
• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Enterprise application integration software: Microsoft Power Automate (hot technology)
• Business intelligence and data analysis software: Microsoft Power BI (hot technology)
• Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
• Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
• Data base user interface and query software: Structured query language SQL (hot technology)
• Industrial control software: Outage management system OMS (in demand)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The work environment for nuclear power reactor operators is shaped by the following characteristics:

• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Telephone Conversations
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

How to Become Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Most nuclear power reactor operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

• Geothermal Production Managers (Supplemental)
• Biomass Power Plant Managers (Supplemental)
• Hydroelectric Production Managers (Supplemental)
• Chemical Engineers (Supplemental)
• Nuclear Engineers (Supplemental)
• Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
• Nuclear Technicians (Primary-Short)
• Nuclear Monitoring Technicians (Primary-Short)

Degree Programs

Students preparing for nuclear power reactor operators commonly pursue programs in:

Science Technologies/Technicians

1 programs across 1 majors

• Nuclear & Radiological Technology

Sources

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 51-8011.00 (Nuclear Power Reactor Operators).