What degree do you need to be a nuclear power reactor operator?
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What degree do you need to be a nuclear power reactor operator?
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent combined with extensive on-the-job training, which may include a combination of classroom and hands-on training. Many jobs require a background check and screenings for drugs and alcohol.
How long does it take to become a reactor operator?
To obtain an NRC operating license, candidates must successfully complete a comprehensive training program at a nuclear site and pass a comprehensive examination administered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The site training programs are usually 18 to 24 months in duration.
How hard is it to become a reactor operator?
To become licensed, operators must meet training and experience requirements, pass a medical exam, and pass the NRC licensing exam. To keep their license, operators must pass a plant-operating exam each year, pass a medical exam every 2 years, and apply for renewal of their license every 6 years.
What does a reactor operator do?
Nuclear power reactor operators control nuclear reactors. They monitor reactor equipment and systems, adjusting controls as needed. Operators may need to respond to abnormalities, determine the causes, and fix the issue. They must be licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Do you need a degree to be a nuclear operator?
Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. However, employers may prefer workers who have a college or vocational school degree. Power plant operators and dispatchers undergo rigorous, long-term on-the-job training and technical instruction.
How many hours a week do nuclear engineers work?
Work Schedules The majority of nuclear engineers work full time and some work more than 40 hours per week. Their schedules may vary with the industries in which they work.
Is nuclear power reactor operator safe?
Nuclear Plants Are Well-Run Nuclear plants have a long track record of safe operation. In the history of U.S. commercial nuclear energy, there have been no radiation-related health effects linked to their operation.
Is being a power plant operator hard?
Power plant operators and dispatchers undergo rigorous, long-term on-the-job training and technical instruction. Several years of onsite training and experience are necessary for a worker to become fully qualified.
Do nuclear engineers make good money?
The median annual wage for nuclear engineers was $120,380 in May 2021. 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 $75,460, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $169,000.
Are nuclear engineers at risk?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 13 percent decline in nuclear engineering jobs through 2029 largely due to the cheaper cost of natural gas for power generation and growing interest in renewable energy sources.
