Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
What Nuclear Power Reactor Operators Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Physicsimportance 4.1/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.9/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.7/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.5/5
- Chemistryimportance 3.4/5
- Designimportance 3.0/5
- English Languageimportance 2.9/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
- Telephone Conversations5.0/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.9/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.9/5
- E-Mail4.9/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters94% skill match
- Transportation Inspectors93% skill match
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers93% skill match
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers92% skill match
- Commercial Pilots92% skill match
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks92% skill match
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand92% skill match
- Surgical Assistants92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 4.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 4.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.5/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.4/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.3/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.3/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
- Outage management system OMS
Other Software Used
- Data logging software
- Plant information data entry software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Commercial PilotsCareer Change
- Construction and Building InspectorsCareer Change
- Transportation InspectorsCareer Change
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight EngineersCareer Change
See the full career path from Nuclear Power Reactor Operators →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician
- Aiken Technical College (Graniteville, SC)
- Cowley County Community College (Arkansas City, KS)
- South Louisiana Community College (Lafayette, LA)grads earn ~$69,576
- Cowley County Community College (Arkansas City, KS)grads earn ~$73,002
- Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (Wichita, KS)