Assist nuclear physicists, nuclear engineers, or other scientists in laboratory, power generation, or electricity production activities. May operate, maintain, or provide quality control for nuclear testing and research equipment. May monitor radiation.
National median · BLS
$110,240
▲ +5.76%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$108,940
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
6,470
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Nuclear Technicians
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$73,150
25th
$99,110
Median (50th)
$110,240
75th
$123,990
90th — top pay
$133,600
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
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Weekly—
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Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Nuclear Technicians
BLS projects employment of nuclear technicians to grow 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
6,700 → 6,800
+100 jobs
Projected change
+1.1%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
2.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Nuclear Technicians salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Nuclear Technicians
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Operations Monitoring3.9
Monitoring3.8
Active Listening3.6
Critical Thinking3.6
Reading Comprehension3.6
Quality Control Analysis3.5
Active Learning3.4
Complex Problem Solving3.3
Judgment and Decision Making3.3
Operation and Control3.3
Top knowledge areas
Public Safety and Security4.2
Mechanical4.0
Physics4.0
Engineering and Technology3.7
Education and Training3.6
Chemistry3.5
English Language3.5
Computers and Electronics3.4
Software and technology used
LinuxMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft WordStructured query language SQLData logging softwareDatabase softwareSupervisory control and data acquisition SCADA softwareVMwareVMWare ESX Server
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What nuclear technicians do
Follow nuclear equipment operational policies and procedures that ensure environmental safety.
Conduct surveillance testing to determine safety of nuclear equipment.
Monitor nuclear reactor equipment performance to identify operational inefficiencies, hazards, or needs for maintenance or repair.
Test plant equipment to ensure it is operating properly.
Apply safety tags to equipment needing maintenance.
Follow policies and procedures for radiation workers to ensure personnel safety.
Modify, devise, or maintain nuclear equipment used in operations.
Monitor instruments, gauges, or recording devices under direction of nuclear experimenters.
Accelerator OperatorAccelerator TechnicianCathodic Protection TechnicianCell Support OperatorChemical Radiation TechnicianDecontaminatorElectric Systems OperatorEnergy Systems OperatorEquipment Operation InstructorFacilities OperatorGamma Facilities OperatorGamma OperatorHealth Physics Technician (HP Tech)Hot-Cell TechnicianInstrumentation Control SpecialistLaboratory Control SpecialistMetallographic TechnicianNon Licensed OperatorNon-Licensed Operator (NLO)Nuclear Chemistry TechnicianNuclear Control TechnicianNuclear Fuel Enrichment TechnicianNuclear Fuel Processing TechnicianNuclear Monitoring TechnicianNuclear Operations SpecialistNuclear Power Plant Process Control WorkerNuclear Reactor TechnicianNuclear Station OperatorNuclear TechnicianNuclear Worker TechnicianOperation SpecialistRadiation Control SpecialistRadiation Control Technician (Radcon Technician)Radiation MonitorRadiation Protection MonitorRadiation Protection Specialist (RP Specialist)Radiation Protection TechnicianRadiation Protection Technician (RPT)Radiation Safety OfficerRadiation Safety SpecialistRadiation Safety Technician (Radiation Safety Tech)Radiation TechnicianRadiochemical TechnicianRadioisotope Production OperatorSystems Protection TechnicianTest and Research Reactor Operator
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Nuclear Technicians, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $110,240.
