Nuclear plant operator vs nuclear control operator

The differences between nuclear plant operators and nuclear control 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 plant operator and a nuclear control operator. Additionally, a nuclear control operator has an average salary of $48,030, which is higher than the $46,061 average annual salary of a nuclear plant operator.

The top three skills for a nuclear plant operator include plant procedures, control room and nuclear reactor. The most important skills for a nuclear control operator are control room, emergency operations, and .

Nuclear plant operator vs nuclear control operator overview

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Nuclear Control Operator
Yearly salary	$46,061	$48,030
Hourly rate	$22.14	$23.09
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	37,238	58,529
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

Nuclear plant operator vs nuclear control operator salary

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

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Nuclear Control Operator
Average salary	$46,061	$48,030
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $30,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between nuclear plant operator and nuclear control operator education

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

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Nuclear Control Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Nuclear plant operator vs nuclear control operator demographics

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

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Nuclear Control Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 93.1% Female, 6.9%
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, 4.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 1.3% White, 79.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.6%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between nuclear plant operator and nuclear control operator duties and responsibilities

Nuclear plant operator example 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.

Nuclear control operator example responsibilities.

Coordinate and manage annual physical inventory as well as inventory valuation in accordance with Canadian GAAP.
Lead operations finance team to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting and costing consistent with internal policy and SOX requirements.
Complete training as a fire brigade team member at Delgado fire school.

Nuclear plant operator vs nuclear control operator skills

Common nuclear plant operator skills

Plant Procedures, 12%
Control Room, 10%
Nuclear Reactor, 9%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Nuclear Power, 5%
Radiological, 5%

Common nuclear control operator skills

Control Room, 55%
Emergency Operations, 45%

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Nuclear Plant Operator
Nuclear Plant Operator vs Nuclear Control Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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