Nuclear technicians ensure that nuclear plants are kept safe and working.
A nuclear tech, also known as a nuclear engineer, is an engineer skilled with conducting research on nuclear engineering problems or applying principles learned to work with nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal. The nuclear tech salary parallels the high salary levels engineers typically earn. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median salary as $96,910 per year as of 2009.
Duties
A nuclear tech works with a team of engineers who are tasked with keeping a nuclear plant operational. Such technicians respond to problems, including taking corrective action such as ordering a plant shutdown or coordinating with supervisors to do the same. Nuclear technicians conduct tests, monitor complex panels of data, perform experiments and write operational instructions. Technicians are computer-literate, analytical, are proficient with sciences such as physics and chemistry and are well versed in mathematics, computers and electronics. Like all engineers, nuclear technicians adhere to public security and safety matters.
Training
Nuclear engineers are highly educated, with all candidates having at least a bachelor's degree. O*Net reports that 50 percent have a bachelor's degree, 36 percent have a master's degree and 14 percent have a doctorate. Nuclear technicians typically major in engineering, although the BLS notes that some candidates who majored in mathematics or natural science might qualify. Ongoing training is important and on-the-job training plays a significant role in keeping the nuclear tech abreast of industry changes.
Average Salaries
Base salaries for nuclear technicians are the highest among all engineers. Those who are in the 10th percentile averaged $67,250 per year as of May 2010. This compares to all engineers, who started off with $10,000 to $25,000 less. Nuclear engineers in the 25th percentile earned $83,200 per year; the median salary was $99,920. Nuclear engineers in the 75th and 90th percentiles earned an average of $119,980 and $142,290, respectively.
Top Industries
Of the 18,610 nuclear engineers employed as of May 2010, approximately one-third are employed by electric power generation, transmission and distribution companies. These engineers earned an annual average salary of $99,700, according to the BLS. The top pay, but with only 150 positions, was employment services that paid engineers $127,710 annually. Management, science and technical consulting services paid an average of $113,980, followed by agricultural, engineering and related services averaging $106,130 per year.
Forecast
The BLS has forecast that demand for nuclear engineers will increase by 11 percent from 2008 to 2018. This number is about as fast as all other jobs and matches the projected growth rate for all engineers. Research and development as well as engineering services are the two areas of largest growth expected.
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