Licensed reactor operator vs senior reactor operator

The differences between licensed reactor operators and senior reactor 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 senior reactor operator. Additionally, a senior reactor operator has an average salary of $64,712, 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 senior reactor operator are NRC, outage, and plant operations.

Licensed reactor operator vs senior reactor operator overview

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Senior Reactor Operator
Yearly salary	$48,455	$64,712
Hourly rate	$23.30	$31.11
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	37,085	28,429
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

Licensed reactor operator vs senior reactor operator salary

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

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Senior Reactor Operator
Average salary	$48,455	$64,712
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $72,000	Between $37,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between licensed reactor operator and senior reactor operator education

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

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Senior Reactor Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Business	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Texas A&M University	Georgia Institute of Technology

Licensed reactor operator vs senior reactor operator demographics

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

	Licensed Reactor Operator	Senior Reactor Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 71.1% Female, 28.9%	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%
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, 5.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between licensed reactor operator and senior reactor 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.

Senior reactor operator example responsibilities.

Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Lead compression shift of twenty-one operators and supporting staff in daily operations of manufacturing generic prescription medications in a GMP setting.
Authore multiple watch station examinations and PowerPoint presentations.

Licensed reactor operator vs senior reactor 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 senior reactor operator skills

NRC, 17%
Outage, 14%
Plant Operations, 11%
Fluid Flow, 9%
License Class, 8%
Federal Regulations, 8%

Licensed Reactor Operator vs. similar jobs

Licensed Reactor Operator related careers

Licensed Reactor Operator related jobs

What similar roles do

Operator responsibilities

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Licensed Reactor Operator
Licensed Reactor Operator vs Senior Reactor Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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