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.
- Median annual earnings
- $110,240
- Projected change
- −3.2%
- Typical education
- Associate degree
- Employment
- 6.89K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
36.9% of the workforce
Growing to 6.67K by 2035
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Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
The work
What nuclear technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
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
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
- 36.9%
- High school diploma or less
- 30.5%
- Certificate
- 18.3%
- Some college
- 7.8%
- Bachelor's degree
- 6.4%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- 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.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Nuclear Operators7 postings
- 02Nuclear Equipment Operators6 postings
- 03Nuclear Plant Operators4 postings
- 04Nuclear Technicians4 postings
- 05Nuclear Electricians1 postings
- 06Operations Aides1 postings
Top employers
- 01Detroit Edison4 postings
- 02NextEra Energy3 postings
- 03Constellation Energy2 postings
- 04Tennessee Valley Authority2 postings
- 05Vistra Energy2 postings
- 06Ameren1 postings
- 07Constellation Energy Generation1 postings
- 08Dominion Energy1 postings
- 09Holtec International1 postings
- 10Huntington Ingalls Industries1 postings
- 11Loma Linda University1 postings
- 12N3B Los Alamos1 postings
- 13Newport News Nuclear Bwxt Los Alamos1 postings
- 14Talen Energy1 postings
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