Nuclear operator vs operator

The differences between nuclear 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 nuclear operator and an operator. Additionally, a nuclear operator has an average salary of $51,893, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.

The top three skills for a nuclear operator include electrical equipment, prototype and electrical systems. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Nuclear operator vs operator overview

	Nuclear Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$51,893	$37,928
Hourly rate	$24.95	$18.23
Growth rate	-15%	7%
Number of jobs	32,513	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	4	4

What does a nuclear operator do?

Nuclear operators are skilled professionals who are responsible for controlling the flow of electricity that is generated by a nuclear power plant. These operators are required to maintain preventive maintenance items that are essential to the safety and efficient operations of the nuclear power plant. They must use proper protective equipment and clothing since they will be performing work in radiological controlled areas. Nuclear operators must also manage multiple operators to ensure the safe operation of all primary and secondary plant systems.

What does an operator do?

Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.

Nuclear operator vs operator salary

Nuclear operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Nuclear Operator	Operator
Average salary	$51,893	$37,928
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $81,000	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 nuclear operator and operator education

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

	Nuclear Operator	Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Northwestern University	-

Nuclear operator vs operator demographics

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

	Nuclear Operator	Operator
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 93.1% Female, 6.9%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	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%	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 nuclear operator and operator duties and responsibilities

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.

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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.

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Nuclear operator vs operator skills

Common nuclear operator skills

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

Common operator skills

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

Nuclear Operator vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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