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
—
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
—
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
27 mapped
Core skills
Operations MonitoringMonitoringReading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingQuality Control AnalysisActive LearningTroubleshooting
Knowledge areas
Public Safety and SecurityMechanicalPhysicsEngineering and TechnologyEducation and Training
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareOperating system softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwarePresentation software
Representative tasks
Follow nuclear equipment operational policies and procedures that ensure environmental safety.Conduct surveillance testing to determine safety of nuclear equipment.Monitor nuclear reactor equipment performance to identify operational inefficiencies, hazards, or needs for maintenance or repair.Test plant equipment to ensure it is operating properly.Apply safety tags to equipment needing maintenance.Follow policies and procedures for radiation workers to ensure personnel safety.Modify, devise, or maintain nuclear equipment used in operations.Monitor instruments, gauges, or recording devices under direction of nuclear experimenters.Perform testing, maintenance, repair, or upgrading of accelerator systems.Warn maintenance workers of radiation hazards and direct workers to vacate hazardous areas.Calculate equipment operating factors, such as radiation times, dosages, temperatures, gamma intensities, or pressures, using standard formulas and conversion tables.Measure the intensity and identify the types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.Communicate with accelerator maintenance personnel to ensure readiness of support systems, such as vacuum, water cooling, or radio frequency power sources.Identify and implement appropriate decontamination procedures, based on equipment and the size, nature, and type of contamination.Decontaminate objects by cleaning them using soap or solvents or by abrading using brushes, buffing machines, or sandblasting machines.Collect air, water, gas or solid samples for testing to determine radioactivity levels or to ensure appropriate radioactive containment.Determine or recommend radioactive decontamination procedures, according to the size and nature of equipment and the degree of contamination.Set up equipment that automatically detects area radiation deviations and test detection equipment to ensure its accuracy.
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
126 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Nondestructive Inspection Craftsman (Air Force 2A772)Nuclear Power Research Project Officer (Navy 7273)Emergency Management Journeyman (Air Force 3E951)Submarine Propulsion Plant Electrical Operator (Navy 003777)Ship's Engineer Officer, Nuclear (Main Propulsion) (Navy 9372)Submarine Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator - Engineering Laboratory Technician (Navy N16O)Nuclear Power Superintendent (Navy 7968)Electronics Technician, Nuclear Power (Navy ETN)Aerospace Medical Service Journeyman, Aeromedical Education Technician (Air Force 4N051G)Surface Ship Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator - Engineering Laboratory Technician (Navy N26O)Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) (Army 74A)Hot-Cell TechnicianAerospace Medical Service Apprentice, Independent Duty Medical Technician (Air Force 4N031C)Nuclear Auxiliary OperatorAerospace Medical Service Helper, Neurodiagnostic Medical Technician (Air Force 4N011B)Reactor Operator, Test-and-ResearchAerospace Medical Service Helper, National Registry Paramedic (Air Force 4N011H)Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense Specialist (Marine Corps 5711)Dental Assistant Helper (Air Force 4Y011)Submarine Propulsion Plant Electrical Supervisor (Navy 003785)Non-Licensed Operator (NLO)Surface Propulsion Plant Electrical Operator (Navy 003778)Nuclear Operations SpecialistSurface Ship Nuclear Propulsion Plant Operator - Electrical (Navy N24O)Dental Assistant Journeyman (Air Force 4Y051)Aerospace Medical Service Craftsman, National Registry Paramedic (Air Force 4N071H)Health Services Management Helper (Air Force 4A011)Aerospace Medical Service Journeyman, Neurodiagnostic Medical Technician (Air Force 4N051B)Aerospace Medical Service Helper, Independent Duty Medical Technician (Air Force 4N011C)Aerospace Medical Service Apprentice, Aeromedical Education Technician (Air Force 4N031G)Aerospace Medical Service Craftsman, Aeromedical Education Technician (Air Force 4N071G)Machinist's Mate, Nuclear Power (Navy MMN)Health Services Management Journeyman (Air Force 4A051)Nuclear Reactor TechnicianRadioisotope-Production OperatorNondestructive Inspection Journeyman (Air Force 2A752)Aerospace Medical Service Journeyman, Independent Duty Medical Technician (Air Force 4N051C)Dental Assistant Journeyman, Dental Hygienist (Air Force 4Y051H)Hospital Corpsman (Navy HM)Aircraft Nondestructive Inspection Technician (Marine Corps 6033)