Production · Holland code RCI

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

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.

Also called: Nuclear Control Operator, Nuclear Reactor Operator, Nuclear Station Operator (NSO), Reactor Operator (RO), Licensed Reactor Operator, Nuclear Control Room Operator, Nuclear Plant Operator (NPO), Nuclear Power Reactor Operator.

O*NET 51-8011.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $122,890; Middle half earn $109,440 to $130,490. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 50% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Direct reactor operators in emergency situations, in accordance with emergency operating 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.
Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.
Record operating data, such as the results of surveillance tests.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Active Listening3.9 / 5
Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
Monitoring3.9 / 5
Writing3.5 / 5
Speaking3.3 / 5

Knowledge areas

Physics4.1 / 5
Mechanical3.9 / 5
Public Safety and Security3.7 / 5
Mathematics3.6 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.5 / 5
Chemistry3.4 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic73
Investigative35
Artistic0
Social18
Enterprising27
Conventional69

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

nuclear engineer · DE Nuklearingenieur/Nuklearingenieurin · FR ingénieur nucléaire/ingénieure nucléaire
nuclear technician · DE Nukleartechniker/Nukleartechnikerin · FR technicien en industrie nucléaire/technicienne en industrie nucléaire
power production plant operator · DE Steuerer von Energieerzeugungsanlagen/Steuerin von Energieerzeugungsanlagen · FR conducteur d’installations de production d’énergie/conductrice d’installations de production d’énergie
fossil-fuel power plant operator · DE Steuerer von mit fossilen Brennstoffen betriebenen Kraftwerken/Steuerin von mit fossilen Brennstoffen betriebenen Kraftwerken · FR conducteur/conductrice d’installation de production d’énergie fossile
geothermal power plant operator · DE Steuerer von Geothermiekraftwerken/Steuerin von Geothermiekraftwerken · FR conducteur/conductrice d’installations de production d’énergie géothermique
hydroelectric plant operator · DE Steuerer von Wasserkraftwerken/Steuerin von Wasserkraftwerken · FR conducteur/conductrice d’installations de production d’hydroélectricité

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Energy plant operatives (8133)5,600 employed
Quantity surveyors (2453)45,300 employed
Laboratory technicians (3111)51,100 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.77. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-8011).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test