Also called: RP Tech, Health Physics Technician
Measures radiation at nuclear plants, hospitals, and labs, and keeps workers' exposure safe.
You survey rooms with a Geiger counter, check workers as they leave radiation zones, and decide what protective gear is needed for a job. During plant outages, you might travel with a crew from plant to plant earning big overtime.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate degree in radiation protection or nuclear technology, or military training; national registry certification (NRRPT).
Ways in: 2-year college, Military, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Radiation Protection Technology (2-year), Nuclear Technology.
Growing about average. BLS does not project this specialty separately; rating estimated from related occupations.
Low risk for 10 years. Surveying rooms, checking workers and choosing protective gear in the field stay human; outage crews are in demand.
Classes: Physics, Chemistry, Algebra II.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4051.
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