Production · SOC 51-8011
Licensed accountability and safety-critical regulation mean no AI system can assume a reactor operator's authority.
Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
Timeline: AI will enhance monitoring and anomaly detection in nuclear plants, but licensed human operators will remain legally required for control decisions through the 2030s and beyond.
Tap a skill to find courses on Coursera.
Some links are affiliate links — if you sign up or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
$49,900 median pay
$45,190 median pay
$33,880 median pay
$38,160 median pay
$38,260 median pay
$42,530 median pay
AI job-risk card
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is resilient on AIFear. Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
AIFear.com
Our AI Fear Score for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators is 20/100 (Resilient). Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
20 out of 100, based on an AI-model review of this occupation's O*NET tasks against what current AI can actually do.
Most exposed: Logging and compiling operational data, Reviewing and editing standard operating procedures. Harder to automate: Diagnosing abnormalities and authorizing corrective actions, Executing licensed lockout/tagout safety procedures, Making real-time control decisions under uncertainty, Accountable oversight required by NRC licensing.
Lean into Nuclear systems operations, Regulatory compliance (NRC/10 CFR), Emergency response decision-making, Technical procedure writing. Consider roles such as Nuclear shift supervisor or Reactor health physics technician or Nuclear plant training instructor.
Tasks, skills and AI-exposure for this role were reviewed by an AI model against its O*NET task profile (curated roles use published research anchors). Pay and employment, where shown, are U.S. BLS OEWS (May 2024) figures. This is an estimate, not a prediction about any individual's job. Compare all occupations.