Also called: Licensed Reactor Operator, Senior Reactor Operator
Controls a nuclear reactor from the control room, adjusting power and responding to alarms.
You work a 12-hour shift in a control room lined with panels and screens. You watch reactor power, temperatures and pump status, follow procedures to adjust control rods, and practice emergency drills in a full-size simulator every few weeks.
One of the highest-paying jobs that doesn't require a college degree.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 3 years after high school. High school diploma plus 2-3 years of plant training and an NRC operator license; many are Navy nuclear veterans or have degrees.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Military, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Nuclear Technology, Navy Nuclear Power Program.
Shrinking. BLS projects a decline, but retirements create openings.
Low risk for 10 years. Digital control rooms add automation, but the NRC requires licensed humans at the controls on every shift.
Classes: Physics, Chemistry, Algebra II, JROTC or Sea Cadets.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-8011.
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.