Operate or control nuclear reactors. Move control rods, start and stop equipment, monitor and adjust controls, and record data in logs. Implement emergency procedures when needed. May respond to abnormalities, determine cause, and recommend corrective action.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is licensed or registered in 1 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. Federal credentials are listed as well. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 3 professional certifications to Nuclear Power Reactor Operators. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Advanced" group, for example: Nuclear Facility Licensed Operator (LO). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most nuclear power reactor operators are Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (86% of the jobs counted, median pay $122,890), Federal Executive Branch (10% of the jobs counted, median pay $127,090), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $131,100), Management of Companies and Enterprises (1% of the jobs counted, median pay $122,250) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution ($122,890). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 72.7 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 4 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 11.9% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,161 for union members and $945 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to nuclear power reactor operators.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 75% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 80% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 77% had paid sick leave, 90% paid vacation and 92% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to nuclear power reactor operators, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.63 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Production" in June 2026 ($25.21 in wages and salaries and $12.42 in benefits, 33.0% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for nuclear power reactor operators are: telephone conversations (100%), e-mail (100%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (100%), contact with others (100%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (100%), indoors, environmentally controlled (100%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (34% of 33 respondents) was "over 2 years, up to and including 4 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (45% of 33 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (33% of 33 respondents) was "over 6 months, up to and including 1 year". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to nuclear power reactor operators in the work done and the skills used: Nuclear Technicians, Power Plant Operators, Hydroelectric Plant Technicians, Nuclear Monitoring Technicians, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, Chemical Plant and System Operators, Gas Plant Operators, Power Distributors and Dispatchers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare nuclear power reactor operators with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician
CIP 41.0205