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Nuclear Power Technology

Types of Degrees Nuclear Power Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Nuclear Power Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	51
Bachelor’s Degree	5
Master’s Degree	55

What Nuclear Power Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Nuclear Power Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Nuclear Power Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Nuclear Power Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Physics — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Nuclear Power Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Nuclear Power Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Nuclear Power Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.5 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Nuclear Power Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Azure software	Development environment software	—
Data logging software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Plant information data entry software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Power BI	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—
Microsoft Power Automate	Enterprise application integration software	—
Outage management system OMS	Industrial control software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Nuclear Power Technology graduates include:

• Nuclear Power Plant Process Control Worker
• Nuclear Operator
• Licensed Nuclear Control Room Operator
• Nuclear Unit Operator
• Nuclear Control Room Operator
• Control Room Operator
• Nuclear Control Room Non-Licensed Operator
• Control Room Officer
• Nuclear Control Operator
• Licensed Reactor Operator
• Nuclear Power Reactor Operator
• Control Room Agent
• Nuclear Plant Operator (NPO)
• Unit Reactor Operator
• Nuclear Station Operator (NSO)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Nuclear Power Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	43.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	17.7%
Postsecondary certificate	16.0%
Bachelor’s degree	15.5%
Some college courses	7.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Nuclear Power Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 80.2% of Nuclear Power Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	22	19.8%
Men	89	80.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Nuclear Power Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	68	61.3%
Hispanic or Latino	11	9.9%
Black or African American	28	25.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.9%
Race Unknown	3	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Nuclear Power Technology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Nuclear Power Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,486
4 years	$80,722
5 years	$98,073

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $98,073 — roughly 131% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Nuclear Power Technology Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Nuclear Power Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Nuclear Power Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Nuclear Power Technology graduates earn a median of $80,722 four years after completion — roughly 112% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians	41.02
Industrial Radiologic Technology/Technician	41.0204
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians, Other	41.0299

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.