Licensed reactor operator vs nuclear operator

The differences between licensed reactor operators and nuclear operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a licensed reactor operator and a nuclear operator. Additionally, a nuclear operator has an average salary of $51,893, which is higher than the $48,455 average annual salary of a licensed reactor operator.

The top three skills for a licensed reactor operator include control room operations, plant operations and NRC. The most important skills for a nuclear operator are electrical equipment, prototype, and electrical systems.

Licensed reactor operator vs nuclear operator overview

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Nuclear Operator
Yearly salary	$48,455	$51,893
Hourly rate	$23.30	$24.95
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	37,085	32,513
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

Licensed reactor operator vs nuclear operator salary

Licensed reactor operators and nuclear operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Nuclear Operator
Average salary	$48,455	$51,893
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $72,000	Between $33,000 And $81,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between licensed reactor operator and nuclear operator education

There are a few differences between a licensed reactor operator and a nuclear operator in terms of educational background:

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Nuclear Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Texas A&M University	Northwestern University

Licensed reactor operator vs nuclear operator demographics

Here are the differences between licensed reactor operators' and nuclear operators' demographics:

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Nuclear Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9%	Male, 93.1% Female, 6.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between licensed reactor operator and nuclear operator duties and responsibilities

Licensed reactor operator example 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.

Nuclear operator example responsibilities.

Manage and direct the development of the sector AOP and of proper controls to ensure program/project spending meets sector expectations.
Used schematics, wiring diagrams, and specialize test equipment to troubleshoot and locate faults down to the component level.
Serve as ship's HVAC technician for (4) 150 ton marine A/C units for 3 years.
Serve in engineering department on fast attack submarine USS Omaha
Train in QA methods and procedures to perform maintenance.
Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot the reactor and all associate reactor protection circuitry.

Licensed reactor operator vs nuclear operator skills

Common licensed reactor operator skills

Control Room Operations, 16%
Plant Operations, 15%
NRC, 11%
Plant Equipment, 10%
Collection Systems, 10%
CDL, 8%

Common nuclear operator skills

Electrical Equipment, 18%
Prototype, 15%
Electrical Systems, 14%
Radiological, 13%
Test Equipment, 13%
Naval Nuclear, 7%

Licensed Reactor Operator vs. similar jobs

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Operator responsibilities

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Licensed Reactor Operator
Licensed Reactor Operator vs Nuclear Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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