How to hire a nuclear plant operator

Nuclear plant operator hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring nuclear plant operators in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a nuclear plant operator is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new nuclear plant operator to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a nuclear plant operator, step by step

To hire a nuclear plant operator, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a nuclear plant operator, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step nuclear plant operator hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a nuclear plant operator job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new nuclear plant operator
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a nuclear plant operator job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

The nuclear plant operator hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

A nuclear plant operator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, nuclear plant operators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

This list shows salaries for various types of nuclear plant operators.

Type of Nuclear Plant Operator	Description	Hourly rate
Nuclear Plant Operator	Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electric power.	$15-30
Operator	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... Show more	$12-25
Plant Operator	A plant operator's primary role is to supervise and oversee operations in an industrial setting. They are responsible for controlling machinery and equipment, coordinating with fellow officers, monitoring the quality of progress among a particular unit or department, and maintaining daily operations records... Show more	$15-26

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Plant Procedures
- Control Room
- Nuclear Reactor
- Emergency Situations
- Nuclear Power
- Radiological
- Mechanical Systems
- Plant Operations
- Corrective Maintenance
- Heat Exchangers
- Condensers
- Naval Nuclear
- Control Systems
- Security Clearance
Check all skills
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.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your nuclear plant operator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A nuclear plant operator can vary based on:
- Location. For example, nuclear plant operators' average salary in florida is 38% less than in alaska.
- Seniority. Entry-level nuclear plant operators 50% less than senior-level nuclear plant operators.
- Certifications. A nuclear plant operator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
- Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a nuclear plant operator's salary.
Average nuclear plant operator salary
$46,061yearly
$22.14 hourly rate
Entry-level nuclear plant operator salary
$32,000 yearly salary
Updated December 11, 2025
Writing a nuclear plant operator job description
A good nuclear plant operator job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a nuclear plant operator job description:
Nuclear plant operator job description example
Be a part of Something Powerful!

Join the nation's leading competitive energy provider, with one of the largest electricity generation portfolios and retail customer bases in the country. You will be part of a family of companies that strives for the highest standards of power generation, competitive energy sales, and energy delivery. Our team of outstanding professionals is focused on performance, thought leadership, innovation, and the power of ideas that come from a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Join Constellation and share your passion at a forward-thinking Fortune 100 company. Establish yourself in a place where you can truly shine and create a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow. Energize your career at Exelon!

Constellation Nuclear is looking for Operations Trainers and Sr. Operations Traininers to join our IL Nuclear Plants.

Nuclear IL locations:

Byron Generating Station- Byron, IL

Clinton Power Station- Clinton, IL

Quad Cities Station– Cordova, IL (Western, IL/Iowa Border)

LaSalle Station – Marseilles, IL

Braidwood Station – Braceville, IL

Dresden Station – Morris, IL

Annual Salary starting from $98,100.00

PRIMARY DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

- Drives station and personnel performance improvement through the use of training. Coordinates, and conducts performance-based licensed or non-licensed training programs as required by user community in accordance with Exelon's TSD model, department procedures, and with proper application of the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation phases.

- Assures the training programs are maintained current and incorporate information gained from INPO Significant Operating Experience Reports and Exelon NERs, NRC Circulars, Bulletins, and Information Notices, plant design change and backfit information, plant procedure changes and revisions, new regulations, and training effectiveness reports.

- Prepares trainee examination and conducts trainee evaluations for classroom, laboratory, OJT, and simulator environments, as appropriate and conducts counseling sessions for trainees, evaluates the results, and recommends/develops individualized training programs.

- Support station and fleet in the areas of business initiatives, project management, refuel outage support, EP duties, and special projects.

- Participates in NRC, INPO and management audits, and prepares responses to audit findings.

- Maintains knowledge of plant operations, disciplinary skills and techniques, commensurate with the responsibility to develop and conduct effective, high quality training.

- Supervises the collection and maintenance of auditable training records and reports required to document training program activities.

Qualifications

Operations Training Mid-Level qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- \t
- \t
  Associates degree in science/engineering or education/training with 4+ years related industry experience/ technical background OR
  \t
- \t
- \t
  6+ years of related industry experience/technical background
  \t
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- \t
- \t
  Bachelor's degree in science/engineering or education/training
  \t
- \t
- \t
  6 years of commercial nuclear power plant training experience
  \t
Sr. Operations Training requirements:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- \t
- \t
  Minimum: Previous or current senior reactor operator license
  \tOR
  \t
- \t
- \t
  Previous RO with the intent to obtain SRO certification WITH 4+ years of related industry experience
  \tOR
  \t
- \t
- \t
  An SRO Certification WITH 4+ years of related industry experience AND 6 months of proven teaching in LORT or ILT.
  \t
- \t
- \t
  Effective written and oral communication skills
  \t
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- \t
- \t
  Bachelors degree in science/engineering or education/training
  \t
- \t
- \t
  Knowledge of and experience with the systematic approach to training (SAT)
  \t
- \t
- \t
  10+ years of commercial nuclear power plant training experience
  \t
Exelon is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and employees or applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to: age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law.

VEVRAA Federal Contractor

EEO is the Law Poster
Post your job
To find the right nuclear plant operator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with nuclear plant operators they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit nuclear plant operators who meet your education requirements.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your nuclear plant operator job on Zippia to find and recruit nuclear plant operator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
During your first interview to recruit nuclear plant operators, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.
Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new nuclear plant operator
Once you have selected a candidate for the nuclear plant operator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.
You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.
To prepare for the new nuclear plant operator first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
Sign up to download full list

How much does it cost to hire a nuclear plant operator?

Recruiting nuclear plant operators involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $46,061 per year for a nuclear plant operator, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for nuclear plant operators in the US typically range between $15 and $30 an hour.

Find better nuclear plant operators in less time

Post a job on Zippia and hire the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

Hiring nuclear plant operators FAQs

How much does a good nuclear plant operator cost?

What are the duties of a nuclear plant operator?

Should I hire a nuclear plant operator with no experience?

Search for nuclear plant operator jobs

Ready to start hiring?

Updated December 11, 2025

Browse production and manufacturing jobs

How to hire a nuclear plant operator