Senior reactor operator vs power reactor operator

The differences between senior reactor operators and power reactor 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 senior reactor operator and a power reactor operator. Additionally, a senior reactor operator has an average salary of $64,712, which is higher than the $52,542 average annual salary of a power reactor operator.

The top three skills for a senior reactor operator include NRC, outage and plant operations. The most important skills for a power reactor operator are nuclear reactor, nuclear power, and plant equipment.

Senior reactor operator vs power reactor operator overview

	Senior Reactor Operator	Power Reactor Operator
Yearly salary	$64,712	$52,542
Hourly rate	$31.11	$25.26
Growth rate	-15%	-15%
Number of jobs	28,429	28,448
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

Senior reactor operator vs power reactor operator salary

Senior reactor operators and power reactor operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Reactor Operator	Power Reactor Operator
Average salary	$64,712	$52,542
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $110,000	Between $34,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between senior reactor operator and power reactor operator education

There are a few differences between a senior reactor operator and a power reactor operator in terms of educational background:

	Senior Reactor Operator	Power Reactor Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common major	Mechanical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
Most common college	Georgia Institute of Technology	Purdue University

Senior reactor operator vs power reactor operator demographics

Here are the differences between senior reactor operators' and power reactor operators' demographics:

	Senior Reactor Operator	Power Reactor Operator
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 94.4% Female, 5.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 1.5% White, 76.8% 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 senior reactor operator and power reactor operator duties and responsibilities

Senior reactor operator example responsibilities.

Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Lead compression shift of twenty-one operators and supporting staff in daily operations of manufacturing generic prescription medications in a GMP setting.
Authore multiple watch station examinations and PowerPoint presentations.

Power reactor operator example responsibilities.

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.

Senior reactor operator vs power reactor operator skills

Common senior reactor operator skills

NRC, 17%
Outage, 14%
Plant Operations, 11%
Fluid Flow, 9%
License Class, 8%
Federal Regulations, 8%

Common power reactor operator skills

Nuclear Reactor, 42%
Nuclear Power, 36%
Plant Equipment, 21%

Senior Reactor Operator vs. similar jobs

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Senior Reactor Operator
Senior Reactor Operator vs Power Reactor Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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