Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Low Risk
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Occupation snapshot

What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
3.4/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

Risk & user votes

Calculated automation risk

36% (Low Risk)

Low Risk (21-40%): This occupation has a lower risk of full replacement by AI, software, or robotic systems. Some tasks may be automated or assisted, but the role usually still relies on human judgement, communication, responsibility, physical adaptability, or practical decision-making.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Human strengths important in this job

These are human abilities and work contexts that are important in this occupation. They may help explain why parts of the role are harder to replace end-to-end, but they are not the only inputs into the automation score.

Decision-making and problem solving

Very important
Why this matters
Analyze information, weigh tradeoffs, and choose the best solution—especially when situations are ambiguous, high-stakes, or have real-world consequences.
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Social perceptiveness

Quite important
Why this matters
Noticing others’ emotions and reactions in the moment and adjusting what you say or do based on why they’re responding that way.
Jobs that also use this strength

Originality

Quite important
Why this matters
Coming up with novel ideas and creative solutions when there isn’t an obvious playbook to follow.
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Coordinating others’ work

Quite important
Why this matters
Bringing people together, assigning tasks, and keeping a group aligned so work gets done.
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Coaching and developing others

Quite important
Why this matters
Helps people learn and improve through coaching, mentoring, and feedback. This relies on trust, motivation, and adapting guidance to each person—work that’s hard to replace end-to-end with automation.
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Show 1 more strength

Active learning

Quite important
Why this matters
Keeps learning from new information and applying it to make better decisions now and in the future, especially when situations change.
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What users think

Based on 92 votes

56% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. However, employees may be able to find reassurance in the automated risk level we have generated, which shows 36% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Nuclear Power Reactor Operators will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

View sentiment trend

Pay & outlook

Wages

Very high paid relative to other professions

In 2024, the median annual wage for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators was $122,610 ($59 per hour).

The median annual wage for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators was 147.7% higher than the national median annual wage, which stood at $49,500.

View wage trend

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Growth

Very slow growth relative to other professions.

The number of 'Nuclear Power Reactor Operators' job openings is expected to decline 15.3% by 2034

View employment trend

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Volume

Significantly lower range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2024 there were 5,720 people employed as 'Nuclear Power Reactor Operators' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 26 thousand people are employed as 'Nuclear Power Reactor Operators'.

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What people are saying (7)

Leave a comment
Nic (Low)
08 Dec 2025 01:22
Excessive regulatory burden in the field. Worker training, rest, and clearance are all tightly controlled by the federal government, and the NRC is notoriously slow to change any regulation.
bob (Moderate)
06 Nov 2025 20:16
it may be unethical to let a robot operate something so serious.
Kyle (Low)
11 May 2025 15:01
1. NRC regulations.
2. Accountability.
3. Robotics tend to stop working when exposed to radiation. Even relatively low amounts.
4. Turning valves.
5. What happens when something not perfectly within a procedure comes up.
James (No chance)
07 Feb 2021 13:09
The nuclear plants that are operational need at least a few humans around to ensure the computers are operating properly. Nuclear safety goes away if nobody can monitor the machines.
zain
05 Aug 2019 02:46
I scared job go bye bye
Tm (No chance)
27 Jul 2019 19:54
They are already managing massively automated systems. Most regulatory bodies require operators to be at a plant at all times. They have essentially been automated already.
Cumbia Dubstep
16 Jun 2021 17:42
I think the thing about AI is that it does not need to be perfect but just better than humans.
Leave a reply about this occupation
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Job description

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.

O*NET-SOC code: 51-8011.00