Licensed reactor operator vs operator

The differences between licensed reactor operators and 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 an operator. Additionally, a licensed reactor operator has an average salary of $48,455, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.

The top three skills for a licensed reactor operator include control room operations, plant operations and NRC. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Licensed reactor operator vs operator overview

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$48,455	$37,928
Hourly rate	$23.30	$18.23
Growth rate	-15%	7%
Number of jobs	37,085	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	4	4

Licensed reactor operator vs operator salary

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

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Operator
Average salary	$48,455	$37,928
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $72,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between licensed reactor operator and operator education

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

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Texas A&M University	-

Licensed reactor operator vs operator demographics

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

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
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, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	5%	4%

Differences between licensed reactor operator and 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Complete the NRC PWR fundamentals exam and subsequently withdrawn for short term disability.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.

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

Licensed reactor operator vs 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 operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

Licensed Reactor Operator vs. similar jobs

Licensed Reactor Operator related careers

Licensed Reactor Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Operator responsibilities

Updated January 8, 2025

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