Nuclear station operator vs power plant operator

The differences between nuclear station operators and power plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a nuclear station operator has an average salary of $50,127, which is higher than the $49,204 average annual salary of a power plant operator.

The top three skills for a nuclear station operator include nuclear power, and . The most important skills for a power plant operator are plant equipment, steam boilers, and auxiliary equipment.

Nuclear station operator vs power plant operator overview

	Nuclear Station Operator	Power Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$50,127	$49,204
Hourly rate	$24.10	$23.66
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	29,333	40,719
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	-

Nuclear station operator vs power plant operator salary

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

	Nuclear Station Operator	Power Plant Operator
Average salary	$50,127	$49,204
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $90,000	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 station operator and power plant operator education

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

	Nuclear Station Operator	Power Plant Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Nuclear And Industrial Radiologic Technologies	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Northwestern University	-

Nuclear station operator vs power plant operator demographics

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

	Nuclear Station Operator	Power Plant Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1%	Male, 94.9% Female, 5.1%
Race ratio	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%	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 station operator and power plant operator duties and responsibilities

Nuclear station operator example responsibilities.

Manage and direct the development of the sector AOP and of proper controls to ensure program/project spending meets sector expectations.
Ensure continuous control of chemistry vital to operational reactor safety and provide oversight for complex radiological control maintenance.
Authore multiple watch station examinations and PowerPoint presentations.

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 station operator vs power plant operator skills

Common nuclear station operator skills

Nuclear Power, 100%

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 Station Operator
Nuclear Station Operator vs Power Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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