Nuclear plant operator vs power plant operator

The differences between nuclear plant operators and power plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a power plant operator has an average salary of $49,204, 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 power plant operator are plant equipment, steam boilers, and auxiliary equipment.

Nuclear plant operator vs power plant operator overview

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Power Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$46,061	$49,204
Hourly rate	$22.14	$23.66
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	37,238	40,719
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	-

Nuclear plant operator vs power plant operator salary

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

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Power Plant Operator
Average salary	$46,061	$49,204
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $64,000	Between $35,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Orange County Sanitation District
Best paying industry	-	Utilities

Differences between nuclear plant operator and power plant operator education

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

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Power Plant Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northwestern University	-

Nuclear plant operator vs power plant operator demographics

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

	Nuclear Plant Operator	Power Plant Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
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, 5.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 1.5% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.5%
LGBT Percentage	5%	5%

Differences between nuclear plant operator and power plant 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.

Power plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Process operator in the powerhouse.
Develop and assist regional groups with desk operating procedures for NERC compliance standards.
Control and maintain auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, fans, compressors and condensers.
Perform various aspects of preventive maintenance and troubleshooting on HVAC systems; 300 to 1500 tons.
Repair and perform complete rebuilds on various valves, actuators, pumps, compressors, large fans, gearboxes etc.

Nuclear plant operator vs power plant 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 power plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 9%
Steam Boilers, 8%
Auxiliary Equipment, 7%
Plant Operations, 5%
Cooling Towers, 5%
Condensers, 5%

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Nuclear Plant Operator
Nuclear Plant Operator vs Power Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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