Nuclear Monitoring Technicians

ManufacturingO*NET 19-4051.02United States

Collect and test samples to monitor results of nuclear experiments and contamination of humans, facilities, and environment.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $110,240
Projected change: −3.2%
Typical education: Associate degree
Employment: 6.89K jobs

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ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What nuclear monitoring technicians do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas.
Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.
Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.
Provide initial response to abnormal events or to alarms from radiation monitoring equipment.
Inform supervisors when individual exposures or area radiation levels approach maximum permissible limits.
Determine intensities and types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.
Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment.
Collect samples of air, water, gases, or solids to determine radioactivity levels of contamination.
Analyze samples, such as air or water samples, for contaminants or other elements.
Set up equipment that automatically detects area radiation deviations and test detection equipment to ensure its accuracy.
Determine or recommend radioactive decontamination procedures, according to the size and nature of equipment and the degree of contamination.
Prepare reports describing contamination tests, material or equipment decontaminated, or methods used in decontamination processes.
Place radioactive waste, such as sweepings or broken sample bottles, into containers for shipping or disposal.
Decontaminate objects by cleaning with soap or solvents or by abrading with wire brushes, buffing wheels, or sandblasting machines.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $73,154
25th percentile: $99,112
50th percentile: $110,240
75th percentile: $123,989
90th percentile: $133,598

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $110,240 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−3.2%projected to decline

20256,887 jobs

2035 projected6,666 jobs

221 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Associate degree: 29.4%
High school diploma or less: 27.2%
Certificate: 16.6%
Bachelor's degree: 15.9%
Some college: 11.1%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Radiation Protection
Health Physics
Emergency Response
Radioactive Materials
Nuclear Power
Physics
Auditing
Project Management
Radiology
Chemistry
Lifting Ability
Technical Training
Regulatory Compliance
Nuclear Medicine
Environment Health And Safety
Ionizing Radiation
Export Control
Nuclear Reactor
Radioactive Waste
Radiation Monitoring

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Technicians201 postings
02Radiological Control Technicians94 postings
03Radiation Safety Officers90 postings
04Radiation Protection Technicians72 postings
05Radiation Therapists69 postings
06Nuclear Technicians54 postings
07Radiation Control Technicians44 postings
08Radiation Protection Supervisors44 postings
09Quality Assurance Technicians43 postings
10Radiation Protection Managers38 postings
11Radiation Safety Specialists38 postings
12CBRN Specialists36 postings
13Radiation Safety Technicians36 postings
14Nuclear Operations Instructors35 postings
15Nuclear Operators32 postings
16Nuclear Medicine Technicians31 postings
17Rope Access Technicians30 postings
18Instructors25 postings
19Nuclear Instructors23 postings
20Operations Instructors23 postings

Top employers

01Westinghouse Electric Company109 postings
02Constellation Energy105 postings
03Constellation Energy Generation82 postings
04Framatome USA81 postings
05Rcm Health Care Services72 postings
06Bayer53 postings
07Duke Energy50 postings
08Acuren Inspection38 postings
09Vistra Energy37 postings
10NextEra Energy34 postings
11Sandia Corporation30 postings
12Huntington Ingalls Industries28 postings
13Savannah River Nuclear Solutions28 postings
14Oak Ridge National Laboratory26 postings
15NuCO2 Incorporated22 postings
16Nuco2 Management21 postings
17Los Alamos National Laboratory19 postings
18Energysolutions Services18 postings
19Nevada National Security Site17 postings
20Energy Solutions Co. Ltd16 postings

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