How To Become A Nuclear Plant Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a nuclear plant operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a nuclear plant operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $22.14 an hour? That's $46,061 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -15% and produce -6,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreNuclear Plant OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $46,061

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.2

Growth rate -15%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.36%

Asian 1.52%

Black or African American 6.10%

Hispanic or Latino 8.08%

Unknown 5.47%

White 76.46%

Gender

female 7.83%

male 92.17%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

9.2

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a nuclear plant operator

Explore nuclear plant operator education requirements

Most common nuclear plant operator degrees

Bachelor's

66.9 %

Associate

21.7 %

High School Diploma

6.4 %

Start to develop specific nuclear plant operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Plant Procedures	12.18%
Control Room	9.99%
Nuclear Reactor	9.48%
Emergency Situations	7.21%
Nuclear Power	5.20%

Complete relevant nuclear plant operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New nuclear plant operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a nuclear plant operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real nuclear plant operator resumes.

Research nuclear plant operator duties and responsibilities

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork
Specialize in building distillation units used for distilling hazardous chemicals.

Prepare your nuclear plant operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your nuclear plant operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a nuclear plant operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable nuclear plant operator resume templates

Build a professional nuclear plant operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your nuclear plant operator resume.

Apply for nuclear plant operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a nuclear plant operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first nuclear plant operator job

Donald Stewart

Senior Reactor Operator, University of Missouri System

I enlisted in the US Navy as a Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator. After my military service, I found an opening at the University of Missouri Research Reactor, in the Control Room, as a Reactor Operator Trainee, with the intent to become an NRC Licensed Reactor Operator. After some time as a Licensed RO, I felt confident enough to pursue my SRO License. MURR ain't your typical test and research reactor.

How do nuclear plant operators rate their job?

4/5

Out of 1 Nuclear Plant Operator reviews, 100% were positive.

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Based on 1 ratings

Career growth

5.0

Overall rating

4.0

Work/life balance

4.0

Pay / salary

3.0

Nuclear plant operator reviews

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2024

Pros

Rotating shift work (having days off during the week are cool), complete and total understanding of the entire facility, being a critical component to the entire operation, the education benefits

Cons

Rotating shift work (working nights, weekends, and holidays while everyone else is a Daywalker), being responsible for the entire facility, lack of pay keeping up with industry.