Best degree programs for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 8 schools train Nuclear Power Reactor Operators. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $122,890 median wage, 5,150 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 8 schools train nuclear power reactor operators, graduating 78 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician. The job pays a median of $122,890 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About nuclear power reactor operators
Operate or control nuclear reactors. Move control rods, start and stop equipment, monitor and adjust controls, and record data in logs. Implement emergency procedures when needed. May respond to abnormalities, determine cause, and recommend corrective action.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
1 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 41.0205 | 78 | 100.0% | 8 | $42,232 | $9,812 |
Top 8 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What nuclear power reactor operators earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Operate nuclear power reactors in accordance with policies and procedures to protect workers from radiation and to ensure environmental safety.
- Adjust controls to position rod and to regulate flux level, reactor period, coolant temperature, or rate of power flow, following standard procedures.
- Develop or implement actions such as lockouts, tagouts, or clearances to allow equipment to be safely repaired.
- Respond to system or unit abnormalities, diagnosing the cause, and recommending or taking corrective action.
- Monitor all systems for normal running conditions, performing activities such as checking gauges to assess output or the effects of generator loading on other equipment.
- Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.
- Record operating data, such as the results of surveillance tests.
- Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Monitoring3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.5
- Speaking3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Learning Strategies3.0
Knowledge areas
- Physics4.1
- Mechanical3.9
- Public Safety and Security3.7
- Mathematics3.6
- Engineering and Technology3.5
- Chemistry3.4
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity4.1
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Information Ordering4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Near Vision3.9
Core activities
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.7
- Getting Information4.5
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.5
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.5
- Documenting/Recording Information4.4
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.3
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Nuclear Power Reactor Operator
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Nuclear Power Reactor Operators1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 41.0205Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Nuclear Power Reactor Operator?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician, which awarded 78 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Nuclear Power Reactor Operator?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 78 people a year.
How much do nuclear power reactor operators earn?+
The median is $122,890 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $98,640 at the 10th percentile to $149,310 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for nuclear power reactor operators growing?+
BLS projects a -15.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
8 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do nuclear power reactor operators work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Reactor Operator (RO), Nuclear Control Operator, Nuclear Reactor Operator, Nuclear Station Operator (NSO) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-8011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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