Also called: Radwaste Engineer, Decommissioning Engineer
Plans how to safely package, store and dispose of radioactive waste and take apart old nuclear plants.
You plan how to cut up an old reactor vessel with remote-controlled saws, pack the pieces into shielded casks and ship them to a disposal site. You track every container so nothing gets lost for the next 10,000 years.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in nuclear, chemical or civil engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Engineering.
Growing about average. Many older plants and Cold War sites need cleanup.
Low risk for 10 years. Robots handle some hot work and AI helps plan storage; decommissioning plans and safety judgment stay human.
Classes: Chemistry, Physics, Earth science, Environmental science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2161.
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