Also called: Irradiator Operator, Sterilization Facility Operator
Runs plants where radioactive cobalt sources sterilize bandages, syringes and spices that pass by on conveyors.
You load boxes of syringes into metal carriers that ride a conveyor through a thick concrete maze. Deep inside, a rack of cobalt rods kills every germ in minutes. You check dose readings on small badges in the boxes, and once a year watch technicians add new cobalt underwater.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0.5 years after high school. High school; employers provide NRC-required irradiator operator training.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Radiation Protection Technology, Industrial Technology.
Growing about average. Medical device sterilization keeps growing.
Medium risk for 10 years. Automated loading and controls reduce staff per shift, but licensed, trained operators are still required.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at sterilization facilities (Steris, Sotera) or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Shop class.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.