Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (2026 stats)
TL;DR
The national workforce is about 5,720 nuclear power reactor operators. Projections imply about 7.4% annual growth; much hiring sits in utilities.
Key Statistics
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators: what the data shows
Common questions about nuclear power reactor operators careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a nuclear power reactor operators?
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-8011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 5,720 workers.
What does a nuclear power reactor operators do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a nuclear power reactor operators make?
BLS national median annual wage: $122,610 (May 2024 in our extract).
What education do you need?
For Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Physics, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is nuclear power reactor operators in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 7.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 43.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 104.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 5,720.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do nuclear power reactor operatorss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 5,720 | 16.9% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 5,060 | 15.0% |
| Utilities | 4,460 | 13.2% |
| Utilities | 4,460 | 13.2% |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 4,460 | 13.2% |
| Nuclear Electric Power Generation | 4,310 | 12.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | 123,680 | $92,560 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | 16,570 | $53,990 |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers | 59,990 | $71,300 |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,510,550 | $43,630 |
| Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | 7,310 | $82,730 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Nuclear Power Reactor Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,720 Workforce in 2023
The Nuclear Power Reactor Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$N/A Average Wage
In 2023, Nuclear Power Reactor Operators earned an average of $N/A.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Salary distribution for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
7.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,287 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 43.0%
1,840 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 104.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Nuclear Power Reactor Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Nuclear Power Reactor Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
Wage trend data by industry is not available for this occupation.
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Top States by Employment
State-level employment data is not available for this occupation.
Top 10 states by employment for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Metropolitan area employment data is not available for this occupation.
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in 2023 was 5,720 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Nuclear Power Reactor Operators in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Nuclear Power Reactor Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Skills
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening.
Required skills for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators include Physics, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
Daily Activities
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators spend their time on activities such as Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators.
About
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
The average yearly wage for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators was $N/A in 2023.
SOC Code
51-8011 - Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Insights and Analysis
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,720 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.