Operate reactor controls, monitor systems, perform tests, and respond to changes under strict federal procedures.
You may also see this posted as: Nuclear Control Operator, Nuclear Station Operator (NSO), Reactor Operator (RO), Licensed Reactor Operator, Nuclear Control Room Operator, Nuclear Plant Operator (NPO).
Nuclear power plant control rooms.
Rotating 24-hour shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
O*NET job zone 3 of 5
Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
High school / no degree
Training path: High school plus years of paid plant training and federal licensing.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training.
Requires extensive plant training and a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission operator license.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Controls a nuclear reactor and responds to plant conditions; openings are few and the training and licensing bar is high.
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Standard Occupational Classification 51-8011. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.