Post job

Licensed reactor operator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a licensed reactor operator. Licensed reactor operators usually study business, nuclear engineering, or nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies. 52% of licensed reactor operators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 327 real licensed reactor operator resumes to see exactly what licensed reactor operator education sections show.

The most common colleges for licensed reactor operators are the Thomas Edison State University and the Thomas Edison State University.

There are also many online licensed reactor operator courses to help get the education required to be a licensed reactor operator.

What education do you need to become a licensed reactor operator?

What degree do you need to be a licensed reactor operator?

The most common degree for licensed reactor operators is bachelor's degree, with 52% of licensed reactor operators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 21% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 21%
  • High School Diploma, 12%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a licensed reactor operator?

You should major in business to become a licensed reactor operator. 19% of licensed reactor operators major in business. Other common majors for a licensed reactor operator include nuclear engineering and nuclear and industrial radiologic technologies.

Most common colleges for licensed reactor operators

Licensed reactor operators often get their degrees at Thomas Edison State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and Central Washington University. Here are the most common colleges for licensed reactor operators in the US based on their resumes.
Licensed reactor operator common collegePercentages
Thomas Edison State University7.89%
Missouri University of Science and Technology7.89%
Central Washington University5.26%
Siena Heights University5.26%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro5.26%

Best majors for licensed reactor operators

Best colleges for licensed reactor operators

The best colleges for licensed reactor operators are Texas A&M; University, University of North Texas, and University of Nevada - Reno.

A licensed reactor operator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for licensed reactor operators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become licensed reactor operators.

1. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

2. University of North Texas

Denton, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,852

Enrollment

31,375

3. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

20 best online courses for licensed reactor operators

Advertising disclosure

1. Navigating Healthcare Supply Chain Operations

coursera

This course is the continuation of "Introduction to Healthcare Supply Chain Operations". If you have not visited the first part yet, please check it out before starting this course. If you have finished the first part of this series: Introduction to Healthcare Supply Chain Operations, you will be able to apply what you learned to your own career. The foundational knowledge and project plan from the introduction are carried through in this deeper dive into healthcare supply chain operations. In...

2. Operations Research (2): Optimization Algorithms

coursera

Operations Research (OR) is a field in which people use mathematical and engineering methods to study optimization problems in Business and Management, Economics, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, etc. The series of courses consists of three parts, we focus on deterministic optimization techniques, which is a major part of the field of OR. As the second part of the series, we study some efficient algorithms for solving linear programs, integer programs, and nonlinear...

3. Operational Risks Management ORM

udemy
4.3
(1,174)

Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

4. Unit Operations in Chemical Engineering

udemy
4.4
(711)

Learn the most important Unit Operations in Chemical Plants...

5. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

coursera

Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

6. Operational Research for Humanitarians

coursera

Evidence is central to good decision-making both in the humanitarian sector and beyond. Every day, a vast amount of evidence is generated that is relevant to humanitarian actors, much of it through research by academics and practitioners. This evidence can be incredibly valuable. It can help us better understand a situation and make humanitarian action more effective and accountable. The difficulty comes with understanding what evidence is relevant to our circumstances, where to find it, and...

7. Airline Operations: Flight Planning and Flight Dispatch

udemy
4.3
(702)

Airline Operations: Master the essentials of aviation - aircraft operational control and dispatch...

8. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance

udemy
4.5
(286)

A complete understanding of construction details , functionning and design of heat exchangers for successful operation...

9. Valves: Principles , Operation & Designs

udemy
4.5
(658)

A complete understanding of construction details & functioning of valves for successful operation of your piping system...

10. Apache Airflow: The Operators Guide

udemy
4.7
(275)

Step up with Apache Airflow! Master Airflow Operators and create incredible data pipelines!...

11. Centrifugal compressors: Principles, Operation and design

udemy
4.8
(389)

A complete understanding of construction details and functioning of centrifugal compressors for successful operations...

12. Supply Chain Management A-Z: Operations & Logistics Basics

udemy
4.5
(2,394)

Supply Chain Management Basics: An MBA style course to boost your career as a business operations & logistics manager...

13. Hybrid Vehicles - The Fundamentals & Operating Principles

udemy
4.3
(264)

Become a pro in Hybrid Vehicle Operations, Functions & Fundamentals...

14. Optimization with Python: Solve Operations Research Problems

udemy
4.5
(1,197)

Solve optimization problems with CPLEX, Gurobi, Pyomo... using linear programming, nonlinear, evolutionary algorithms.....

15. Reactive Programming in Modern Java using Project Reactor

udemy
4.4
(832)

Learn to write fast performing Asynchronous and Non Blocking code using the Reactive Programming principles and Reactor...

16. Truck Dispatcher - Working with owner operators

udemy
4.6
(724)

Work and earn...

17. Start & Operate Your Own Successful Office Cleaning Business

udemy
4.8
(613)

You Can Quickly Learn the Skills and Knowledge on How to Run Your Own Highly Successful Office Cleaning Business...

18. Operating the Audio Mixer, A Beginning Sound Engineer Course

udemy
4.7
(252)

Learn to Mix Live Sound...

19. ROS2 For Beginners (ROS Foxy, Humble - 2023)

udemy
4.7
(1,914)

Master ROS 2 Basics and Become a Robot Operating System Developer Step By Step Robotics Programming Python and C++...

20. ROS For Beginners (ROS Noetic, Melodic, Kinetic)

udemy
4.5
(2,047)

Master the Key ROS (Robot Operating System) Concepts to Create Powerful and Scalable Robot Applications, Step By Step...

Top 10 most affordable universities for licensed reactor operators

The most affordable schools for licensed reactor operators are Siena Heights University, university of north texas, and university of nevada - reno.

If the best universities for licensed reactor operators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for licensed reactor operators.

1. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Cost of attendance

37,423

2. University of North Texas

Denton, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,852

Cost of attendance

22,827

3. University of Nevada - Reno

Reno, NV • Private

In-state tuition

$7,599

Cost of attendance

21,792

4. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Cost of attendance

28,314

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for licensed reactor operators

The hardest universities for licensed reactor operators to get into are Texas A&M; University, University of North Texas, and University of Nevada - Reno.

Some great schools for licensed reactor operators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for licensed reactor operators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,291

2. University of North Texas

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,163

3. University of Nevada - Reno

Reno, NV • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,172

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for licensed reactor operators

The easiest schools for licensed reactor operators to get into are University of North Texas, university of nevada - reno, and texas a&m; university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a licensed reactor operator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for licensed reactor operators.

1. University of North Texas

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,163

2. University of Nevada - Reno

Reno, NV • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,172

3. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,291

Average licensed reactor operator salary by education level

According to our data, licensed reactor operators with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $54,362 annually. Licensed reactor operators with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $48,956.
Licensed reactor operator education levelLicensed reactor operator salary
High School Diploma or Less$45,894
Bachelor's Degree$54,362
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,956

Licensed reactor operator education FAQs

Search for licensed reactor operator jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse production and manufacturing jobs