Nuclear Technicians

Summary

Nuclear technicians must take safety precautions when working with or around nuclear materials.

Quick Facts: Nuclear Technicians
2010 Median Pay	$68,090 per year $32.73 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Associate’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Moderate-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	7,100
Job Outlook, 2010-20	14% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	1,000

What Nuclear Technicians Do

Nuclear technicians assist physicists, engineers, and other professionals in nuclear research and nuclear production. They operate special equipment used in these activities and monitor the levels of radiation that are produced.

Work Environment

Most nuclear technicians work full time in the nuclear power industry. Nuclear technicians must take safety precautions to avoid exposure to radiation.

How to Become a Nuclear Technician

Nuclear technicians typically enter the occupation with an associate’s degree in nuclear science or a nuclear-related technology. Nuclear technicians also go through extensive on-the-job training.

Pay

The median annual wage of nuclear technicians was $68,090 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of nuclear technicians is projected to grow by 14 percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations, because of greater demand for nuclear energy.  

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of nuclear technicians with similar occupations.

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What Nuclear Technicians Do

Nuclear technicians use instruments, such as geiger counters, to monitor radiation levels.

Nuclear technicians assist physicists, engineers, and other professionals in nuclear research and nuclear production. They operate special equipment used in these activities and monitor the levels of radiation that are produced.

Duties

Nuclear technicians typically do the following:

• Monitor the performance of equipment used in nuclear experiments and power generation
• Measure the levels and types of radiation produced by nuclear experiments, power generation, and other activities
• Collect and test samples of air, water, and other substances for levels of radioactive contamination
• Instruct personnel on radiation safety procedures and warn them when conditions are hazardous
• Maintain radiation monitoring and operating equipment

Job duties and titles of nuclear technicians often depend on where they work and what purpose the facility serves. Most nuclear technicians work in nuclear power plants, where they ensure that reactors and other equipment are operated safely and efficiently. Two examples of technicians who work in nuclear power plants are operating technicians and radiation protection technicians.

Operating technicians use computers, gauges, and other instruments to monitor the performance of nuclear power plants under the supervision of nuclear reactor operators and engineers. They base calculations on factors such as temperature, pressure, and radiation intensity to determine whether equipment is functioning properly. Operating technicians must make adjustments to improve the performance of reactors and other equipment, such as opening and closing valves and electrical breakers.  

Radiation protection technicians monitor radiation levels at nuclear power plants to protect personnel, facilities, and the surrounding environment from contamination. They use radiation detectors to measure levels in the environment and dosimeters to measure the levels present in people and objects. Radiation protection technicians also are responsible for setting up and testing instruments that monitor radiation levels remotely. They use the data collected by these instruments to map radiation levels throughout the plant and the surrounding environment. From their findings, they recommend radioactive decontamination plans and safety procedures for personnel. 

Nuclear technicians also work in waste management and treatment facilities, where they monitor the disposal, recycling, and storage of nuclear waste.  They perform duties similar to those of radiation protection technicians at nuclear power plants.

Other nuclear technicians work in laboratories. They help nuclear physicists, nuclear engineers, and other scientists conduct research and develop new types of nuclear reactors, fuels, medicines, and other technologies. They use equipment such as radiation detectors, spectrometers (used to measure gamma ray and x-ray radiation), and particle accelerators to conduct experiments and gather data. They also may use remote-controlled equipment to manipulate radioactive materials or materials exposed to radiation. 

Work Environment

Nuclear technicians may monitor radiation levels at nuclear power plants.

Nuclear technicians held about 7,100 jobs in 2010. The industries employing the largest number of nuclear technicians in 2010 were as follows: 

In nuclear power plants, nuclear technicians typically work in offices and control rooms where they use computers and other equipment to monitor and help operate nuclear reactors. Nuclear technicians also need to measure radiation levels onsite, requiring them to travel to several plant locations throughout the workday. Nuclear technicians who conduct scientific tests for scientists and engineers typically work in laboratories. 

Nuclear technicians must take precautions when working with or around nuclear materials. They often have to wear protective clothing and film badges that indicate if they have been exposed to radiation. Many technicians also wear respirators as a safety precaution. 

Work Schedules

Most nuclear technicians work full time. In power plants, which operate 24 hours a day, technicians may work nights, holidays, and weekends. In laboratories, technicians typically work during normal business hours.

How to Become a Nuclear Technician

Most employers prefer applicants who have at least an associate’s degree in nuclear science or a nuclear-related technology.

Nuclear technicians typically enter the occupation with an associate’s degree in nuclear science or a nuclear-related technology. Nuclear technicians also go through extensive on-the-job training.

Education

Nuclear technicians typically enter the occupation with an associate’s degree. Many community colleges and technical institutes offer associate’s degree programs in nuclear science, nuclear technology, or related fields. Students study nuclear energy, radiation, and the equipment and components used in nuclear power plants and laboratories. Other coursework includes mathematics, physics, and chemistry.   

Training

In nuclear power plants, nuclear technicians start out as trainees under the supervision of more experienced technicians. During their training, they are taught the proper ways to use operating and monitoring equipment. They are also instructed on safety procedures, regulations, and plant policies. 

Training varies with the technician’s previous experience and education. Most training programs last between 6 months and 2 years. Throughout their careers, nuclear technicians take additional training and education to keep up with advances in nuclear science and technology.

Important Qualities

Critical-thinking skills. Nuclear technicians must carefully evaluate all available information before deciding on a course of action. For example, radiation protection technicians must evaluate data from radiation detectors to determine if an area is unsafe and then must develop a decontamination plan to handle the situation.

Listening skills. Nuclear technicians receive complex instructions from scientists and engineers that they must follow exactly. They have to be able to ask questions to clarify anything they do not understand.

Math skills. Nuclear technicians use scientific and mathematical formulas to analyze experimental and production data such as reaction rates and radiation exposures.

Monitoring skills. Nuclear technicians must be able to assess data from sensors, gauges, and other instruments to make sure that equipment and experiments are functioning properly and that radiation levels are controlled.

Speaking skills. Nuclear technicians must be able to explain their work to scientists, engineers, and reactor operators. They also must instruct others on safety procedures and warn them when conditions are hazardous.

Licenses

Although nuclear technicians do not need to be licensed, they may need to obtain security clearances for positions at nuclear power plants and nuclear research facilities that involve doing work related to nuclear weapons and national defense.

Advancement

With additional training and experience, technicians may become nuclear power reactor operators at nuclear power plants. Technicians can become nuclear engineers by earning a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering. Nuclear physicists need a Ph.D. in physics. For more information, see the profiles on power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers; nuclear engineers; and physicists and astronomers.

Pay

The median annual wage of nuclear technicians was $68,090 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,570, and the top 10 percent earned more than $93,890. 

Most nuclear technicians work full time. In power plants, which operate 24 hours a day, technicians may work nights, holidays, and weekends. In laboratories, technicians typically work during normal business hours.

Job Outlook

Employment of nuclear technicians is expected to grow by 14 percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations. Most growth will be due to higher demand for nuclear energy, stemming from overall growth in energy demand and greater interest in energy sources that do not emit greenhouse gases.  

Demand for technicians should grow because of higher levels of production at existing nuclear power plants, as well as new nuclear power plant operations. 

Greater interest in nuclear energy also is expected to increase demand for research in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering. Technicians will be needed to help scientists and engineers develop smaller and more efficient reactors, as well as fuels that are safer, last longer, and produce less waste. 

Technicians are also expected to be in demand to develop nuclear medical technology, enforce waste management safety standards, and work in defense-related areas such as nuclear security.

Job Prospects

Nuclear technicians should have good job opportunities over the next decade. In the nuclear power industry, many openings should arise from technicians who retire or leave the occupation for other reasons. 

Contacts for More Information

For more information about nuclear technicians, visit

Nuclear Energy Institute