Careers / Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$122,890
United States, 2025
Employment
5,150
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 51-8011.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- 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.
- Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$98,640
25th percentile
$109,440
75th percentile
$130,490
90th percentile
$149,310
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring4.0
- Operation and Control4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Writing3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Time Management3.4
- Quality Control Analysis3.3
- Coordination3.3
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 20 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
20
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Operation and Control | 4.0 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Time Management | 3.4 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Speaking | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.5 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Nuclear Power Reactor OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NY | $129,580 | 230 | 2025 |
| IL | $123,980 | 410 | 2025 |
| AL | $119,000 | 360 | 2025 |
| SC | $118,620 | 320 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $112,860 | — | 2025 |
| NE | $108,650 | 50 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Nuclear Power Reactor Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.