Occupation · SOC 19-4051
Nuclear Technicians
Assist nuclear physicists, nuclear engineers, or other scientists in laboratory, power generation, or electricity production activities. May operate, maintain, or provide quality control for nuclear testing and research equipment. May monitor radiation.
Median wage
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Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
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Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
27 mapped
Core skills
Operations MonitoringMonitoringReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningQuality Control AnalysisActive LearningWritingTroubleshootingSpeakingOperation and ControlJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingCoordinationTime ManagementSystems EvaluationSocial PerceptivenessInstructingRepairingPersuasionLearning StrategiesEquipment MaintenanceSystems AnalysisService OrientationScienceMathematicsNegotiationEquipment SelectionManagement of Personnel ResourcesProgrammingTechnology DesignManagement of Material ResourcesManagement of Financial ResourcesOperations AnalysisInstallation
Knowledge areas
Public Safety and SecurityMechanicalPhysicsEngineering and TechnologyEducation and TrainingChemistryEnglish LanguageComputers and ElectronicsMathematicsLaw and GovernmentDesignAdministrativeProduction and ProcessingTelecommunicationsCommunications and MediaBuilding and ConstructionAdministration and ManagementPsychologyBiologyTransportationMedicine and DentistryPersonnel and Human ResourcesGeographyCustomer and Personal ServiceTherapy and CounselingHistory and ArcheologySociology and AnthropologyEconomics and AccountingPhilosophy and TheologySales and MarketingFood ProductionForeign LanguageFine Arts
Technology & tools
Data logging softwareDatabase softwareLinuxMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordMicrosoft operating systemSpreadsheet softwareStructured query language SQLSupervisory control and data acquisition SCADA softwareVMWare ESX ServerVMwareWord processing software
Representative tasks
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsInspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialsDocumenting/Recording InformationIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesGetting InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeControlling Machines and ProcessesEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsProcessing InformationMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing Data or InformationTraining and Teaching OthersWorking with ComputersPerforming General Physical ActivitiesOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkEstimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationOperating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or EquipmentHandling and Moving ObjectsPerforming Administrative ActivitiesEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsCoordinating the Work and Activities of OthersJudging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or PeopleInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersCoaching and Developing OthersRepairing and Maintaining Mechanical EquipmentScheduling Work and ActivitiesDeveloping and Building TeamsThinking CreativelyCommunicating with People Outside the OrganizationDeveloping Objectives and StrategiesRepairing and Maintaining Electronic EquipmentGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesProviding Consultation and Advice to OthersResolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersDrafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and EquipmentAssisting and Caring for OthersMonitoring and Controlling ResourcesPerforming for or Working Directly with the PublicStaffing Organizational Units
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Nuclear equipment operational policies — follow under direct supervision to ensure environmental safety compliance at a licensed nuclear facility.Radiation safety protocols — apply consistently under technician guidance to maintain personnel dose limits within established thresholds.Safety tags — identify correct tag types and attach to equipment flagged for maintenance under a senior technician's oversight.Plant equipment operating parameters — read and record instrument data from control panels during routine shifts at a nuclear power station.Technical procedures and equipment manuals — interpret written instructions to support basic surveillance testing tasks in a reactor support environment.Basic nuclear physics concepts — recognize and explain how they relate to reactor operation during structured on-the-job training sessions.Industrial control software interfaces — navigate and log operational data entries under supervision using facility-approved database systems.Anomalous equipment readings — identify and immediately report to qualified personnel during routine monitoring rounds in a nuclear plant.Radiation detection instruments — use and perform basic functional checks under direct supervision before entering radiologically controlled areas.Quality control checklists — complete accurately and submit in accordance with plant documentation standards while working on entry-level assignments.
developing
Nuclear equipment operational procedures — execute independently and verify compliance with environmental safety standards during normal plant operations.Surveillance testing programs — conduct scheduled tests on safety-related nuclear equipment and document results in plant tracking databases with minimal oversight.Reactor equipment performance data — monitor trends across shifts and flag emerging inefficiencies or potential hazards to shift supervisors.Plant equipment functional tests — perform and evaluate results against acceptance criteria, escalating discrepancies through the corrective action program.Radiation worker policies — apply and explain to coworkers in radiologically controlled areas, reinforcing a consistent safety culture on the work floor.Nuclear equipment modifications — assist in devising or implementing minor field changes under engineering guidance within an operating nuclear facility.Spreadsheet and office suite software — use to compile equipment performance reports and surveillance test summaries for review by plant engineering staff.Problem sensitivity during equipment rounds — distinguish between normal operational variation and conditions requiring corrective action in a reactor support environment.Technical specifications and licensing bases — read and interpret to ensure work activities remain within authorized limits at a commercial nuclear plant.Oral and written status updates — deliver clearly to shift supervisors and peers during turnover briefings in a time-sensitive control room environment.
proficient
Full-scope nuclear equipment monitoring programs — execute autonomously, identify complex performance degradation patterns, and initiate corrective actions at an operating reactor facility.Non-routine surveillance and diagnostic testing — design and lead for safety-critical systems, interpreting ambiguous results and recommending disposition to plant engineers.Equipment maintenance and repair strategies — evaluate and recommend modifications that optimize reliability while maintaining compliance with nuclear quality assurance requirements.Safety tagging and work control processes — administer for complex, multi-system evolutions, ensuring all energy isolation boundaries are correctly established and released.Radiation protection programs — assess effectiveness and recommend procedural improvements to reduce occupational dose while maintaining operational throughput.Industrial control software and historian systems — leverage to perform advanced trending analyses and prepare detailed equipment health reports for plant management review.Complex troubleshooting of nuclear plant systems — apply deductive and inductive reasoning independently to diagnose root causes and identify corrective options across mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation domains.Regulatory and technical specification compliance — judge borderline operational conditions and make defensible, well-documented decisions without supervisory direction.Cross-functional coordination — lead technical interactions between operations, maintenance, and engineering groups to resolve equipment issues efficiently during outages or forced power reductions.Instruction and knowledge transfer — coach developing technicians in surveillance procedures, radiation safety practices, and equipment monitoring techniques within the plant training environment.
advanced
Nuclear operations competency framework — develop and champion organization-wide standards for technician qualification, surveillance testing, and equipment monitoring across multiple plant systems.Strategic equipment reliability programs — lead design and continuous improvement initiatives that reduce unplanned outages and support long-term asset management at the facility level.Radiation protection culture — set organizational direction and model exemplary behaviors that embed cautiousness, integrity, and self-control as core values across the nuclear workforce.Regulatory agency interactions — represent the facility authoritatively during inspections, license amendment reviews, and enforcement conferences with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.Emergency operating procedure governance — oversee revision, validation, and drill programs to ensure procedural accuracy and workforce readiness for design-basis and beyond-design-basis events.Plant modification and engineering change programs — provide senior technical authority and approval oversight for nuclear equipment modifications affecting safety classification or licensing basis.Workforce capability development — build and sustain multi-year technician training pipelines, partnering with vocational programs and internal training departments to address skill gaps.Cross-departmental quality assurance leadership — direct nuclear quality control analyses and independent verification processes, ensuring corrective action program effectiveness across the organization.Institutional knowledge capture — lead structured efforts to document complex system behaviors, tribal knowledge, and lessons learned into retrievable formats for organizational resilience.Industry benchmarking and best practices adoption — represent the facility at industry forums, evaluate peer plant operating experience, and integrate applicable insights into facility programs and procedures.
Also known as
35 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Accelerator OperatorAccelerator TechnicianAuxiliary OperatorCell Support OperatorElectric Systems OperatorEnergy Systems OperatorEquipment Operation InstructorEquipment OperatorFacilities OperatorGamma Facilities OperatorGamma OperatorHot-Cell TechnicianLicensed Nuclear OperatorNon Licensed OperatorNon-Licensed Nuclear Equipment Operator (NLO)Non-Licensed Nuclear Plant Operator (NLO)Non-Licensed Operator (NLO)Nuclear Auxiliary OperatorNuclear Equipment Operator (NEO)Nuclear Fuel Enrichment TechnicianNuclear Fuel Processing TechnicianNuclear Monitoring TechnicianNuclear Operations SpecialistNuclear Plant Equipment Operator (NAPEO)Nuclear Power Plant Process Control WorkerNuclear Reactor TechnicianNuclear Station OperatorNuclear TechnicianOperation SpecialistOperations TechnicianRadiation Protection TechnicianRadiochemical TechnicianRadioisotope Production OperatorSystems OperatorTest and Research Reactor Operator