# Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

> Operate or control nuclear reactors. Move control rods, start and stop equipment, monitor and adjust controls, and record data in logs. Implement emergency procedures when needed. May respond to abnormalities, determine cause, and recommend corrective action.

- **SOC code:** 51-8011.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8011-00
- **Also known as:** Nuclear Control Operator, Nuclear Reactor Operator, Nuclear Station Operator (NSO), Reactor Operator (RO), Licensed Reactor Operator, Nuclear Control Room Operator, Nuclear Plant Operator (NPO), Nuclear Power Reactor Operator
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Operate nuclear power reactors in accordance with policies and procedures to protect workers from radiation and to ensure environmental safety.
- Adjust controls to position rod and to regulate flux level, reactor period, coolant temperature, or rate of power flow, following standard procedures.
- Develop or implement actions such as lockouts, tagouts, or clearances to allow equipment to be safely repaired.
- Direct reactor operators in emergency situations, in accordance with emergency operating procedures.
- Respond to system or unit abnormalities, diagnosing the cause, and recommending or taking corrective action.
- Monitor all systems for normal running conditions, performing activities such as checking gauges to assess output or the effects of generator loading on other equipment.
- Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.
- Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities.
- Record operating data, such as the results of surveillance tests.
- Note malfunctions of equipment, instruments, or controls and report these conditions to supervisors.
- Participate in nuclear fuel element handling activities, such as preparation, transfer, loading, or unloading.
- Authorize maintenance activities on units or changes in equipment or system operational status.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Physics _(knowledge)_
- Reading Comprehension _(essential_skill)_
- Operations Monitoring _(transferable_skill)_
- Operation and Control _(transferable_skill)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Information Ordering _(ability)_
- Active Listening _(essential_skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(essential_skill)_
- Monitoring _(essential_skill)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Physics _(Specialized Skill)_
- Reading Comprehension _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Complex Problem Solving _(Common Skill)_
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Chemistry _(Specialized Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Azure software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Power Automate _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Power BI _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft SharePoint _(hot technology)_
- Structured query language SQL _(hot technology)_
- Outage management system OMS _(in demand)_
- Data logging software
- Plant information data entry software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 41st percentile (Moderate) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 66th percentile (Moderate) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 41st percentile (Moderate) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 21st percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 89th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** -15.3% growth (Declining); 0.4k annual openings; 5.7k → 4.9k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $122,610; 5,720 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-8011-00_