How To Become A Licensed Reactor Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a licensed reactor operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a licensed reactor operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.3 an hour? That's $48,455 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -15% and produce -6,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreLicensed Reactor OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,455

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.2

Growth rate -15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.37%

Asian 1.52%

Black or African American 6.06%

Hispanic or Latino 8.05%

Unknown 5.47%

White 76.53%

Gender

female 28.88%

male 71.12%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

9.2

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a licensed reactor operator

Explore licensed reactor operator education requirements

Most common licensed reactor operator degrees

Bachelor's

51.6 %

Associate

21.1 %

High School Diploma

11.7 %

Start to develop specific licensed reactor operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Control Room Operations	15.77%
Plant Operations	14.83%
NRC	10.63%
Plant Equipment	10.46%
Collection Systems	10.05%

Complete relevant licensed reactor operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New licensed reactor operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a licensed reactor operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real licensed reactor operator resumes.

Research licensed reactor operator duties and responsibilities

Complete the NRC PWR fundamentals exam and subsequently withdrawn for short term disability.
Assume role as lead intern during the licensing period to train and ensure other interns pass the NRC exam.
Implement tool control and OSHA safety regulations while working independently on various machinery.
Work with DeltaV software for reactor control and production.

Prepare your licensed reactor operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your licensed reactor operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a licensed reactor operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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