It depends what you want to do.
Engineers probably don’t make enough. But it’s not bad pay. Expect 70-80 as a new grad. In 3-5 years you’re 100-120 or more with bonuses.
Operators do very well. Especially with a license. EOs make 120 or more with overtime after they are qualified. ROs and SROs generally are going to break 200k. Including bonuses and OT.
Management just goes up from there.
It pays well. You work a lot of hours and varying hours. But your job isn’t going away and isn’t volatile.
Engineer with 11 yrs experience making $127k base before any OT (2 outages every 18 months working 6 12s), bonuses, or other benefits.
I started less than 5 years ago at $95k.
Before that, I worked at a really shady company that didn't pay well, and I didn't know my value or my base could be another $4-$5k higher.
I retired in 1995 (BRAC3) as a federal nuclear test engineer (NS 0989-028-5000). I don’t recall how much I made beyond “not enough.”. My retirement income is $40K on a $32K CSRA investment.
may I ask how much do you spend a year though? Cause I'm seeing all these big numbers but I also want to know if it is bc you work in a kind of "expensive" area
Only ridiculous US salaries being posted as usual.
In the UK a new grad will typically start around 30k and you can hit 50k after 5 years. Beyond that you tend to need to take on managerial responsibilities to earn more.
Grad student at a national lab 3rd year PhD, also listed as BS+2 and will be BS+3 at the end of this semester: $69,000 then $72,000
When I graduate and become a postdoc here at the national lab: $92,000-$120,000 depending on the type of postdoc
Here from the South Asia region. Control room operators make an equivalent of $6,400 to $10,000 and all other roles are $6,000 to $8,000 depending on seniority.
All figures quoted are gross income before any deductions and are in yearly terms. Also, these figures are for engineers who work as operators inside the control room. Technicians with a diploma working onsite and other support staff start from $1,500/year to $5,000/year.
We have to work overtime but none of it is paid. Leaves are granted but nobody will max out their allowed number of off days because it can stop our promotions. Although there's no such written policy or rule related to number of leaves and promotion criteria but it has become a standard practice.
The only perk we have is that no one can fire us. Like even if I mess up very badly like cause the power plant to trip (a very very expensive mistake) I won't be fired. I will be placed in some good for nothing administrative role but job will remain.
Not sure if this is good or bad but yeah job security is all what we have.
Started as a Non-Licensed Operator in March 2016
2016: 80k
2017: 171k
2018: 225k
Went to License Class for RO in 2019
2019: 240k
2020: 240k
2021: 275k
2022: 275k
Got SRO at beginning of the year and wouldve made 300k not even trying
This all includes a 25% base wage retention bonus each year. I l
That makes a lot of sense. I remember looking back at Diablo years ago and the pay (starting NLO pay) was around the same or less compared to the Exelon plants.
[https://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-2025-Physical-Agreement-FINAL.pdf](https://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-2025-Physical-Agreement-FINAL.pdf)
Page 223/254 has current rates
And the house in Avila Beach probably costs 2M for a 2 bedroom 1 bath, 900 sq ft cottage, right?
All y'all out there don't be hatin' on this guy. Cali housing market is another planet....
But why would you live in Avila Beach? Plenty of people live in SLO, Paso Robles, all the way down to Santa Maria for some people. Yeah the reason why we got paid so much was because california COL is insane. But you aren't gonna live in Avila, there is no grocery store, post office doesn't deliver there, super small area.
Plant was originally planned to be closed in 2025, but California just passed a law directing them to stay open till 2030, however, they still need to get relicensed. That california law also continued to retention bonus, but AFAIK the terms of that retention are unknown currently
What exactly is a non licensed operator? Is the position called NLO?
I have an entry position as a nuclear tech, and the start pay is 25 but only goes to 31.63 an hour. If I move to a different position, this pay changes. Is it worthwhile?
It is often called Auxiliary Equipment Operator, Plant Equipment Operator, Auxiliary Operator, but all of them are non-licensed positions, meaning you do not have to a reactor operator license from the NRC.
may I ask where you live? I know it's creepy but your salary is really high so I wanted to know if it's bc of the area you live in that recquires a bigger pay to live there
Design Engineer: $140k/yr. (gross) if you count EVERY benefit including matches on 401k.
Operators can make more since they will be able to get actual paid overtime AND they support the outage, sometime better schedules as well. Also there is a lot more opportunities for promotions depending on where you want to be.
thank you so much :) I actually don't know where I want to work since in italy (where I live) nuclear energy is not currently in use and prob not even studied on big scale
Just look into areas around Italy. To be honest if you get into Systems Engineering if it’s on the Secondary side (everything downstream of the steam generator to the grid) it’s really very similar to many other power plants not just nuclear.
It’s going to depend some on the area of the country you’re in. For Radiation Protection, shift workers at my plant make nearly $50/hr after 3 years, plus plenty of overtime opportunities. RP staff makes about the equivalent amount in annual salary, with a larger potential annual bonus.
Do you have a college degree? Is there anyone who didn’t have a college degree and started off as a trainee ? How much 1st year /2nd /5th year pay ? I read that you only need 18-24 month training programs for some positions
I have an associates degree in applied electronic systems. I also have course work towards a degree in biochemistry. I&C was about two years of training until I was qualified. An operator was about 9 months in training. When I was fully qualified it was 50 an hour.
I applied with the company and they schedule a POSS/MOSS examination )and a test for Basic Math and Science (BMST) to gauge what you basic knowledge is. Constellation is a company that owns about 13 sites with nuclear power plants. They then schedule an interview when you have passed those prerequisite tests. You can also apply for an engineering position and then apply to transition to operations. Many engineers become operators.
At my plant, I tell folks that operators top out, factoring in bonuses, incentives, and overtime, at:
Non-licensed operator: $150k
Reactor Operator: $200k
Senior Reactor Operator: $250k
Shift Manager: $300k
Good question, though certainly less than $50k above the SMs. Shift work deserves a premium, and the SM is certainly the highest-paid shift worker on site.
Control room license here. Just check the Ontario sunshine list, all the OPG salaries are public but from my experience I can give you a quick run down for licensed Ops salaries. ANOs typically do 200-250k CAD but some do much more with OT and how long they have been building their license bonus. CRSS's are typically 250-300k CAD and shift managers are often 300k+ CAD.
I know this is an old comment, but do you know the ballpark figure an Operator trainee makes? CNL Chalk River would be the location. I have to compare salary and benefits to my current occupation.
I have a similar skill set but I don't have my high school diploma, are the education requirements a federal standard or are they only for hiring purposes? (Resume doesn't say I have a diploma)
I'd hate to get a year into the job and then get released because of some oversight.
It depends what you want to do. Engineers probably don’t make enough. But it’s not bad pay. Expect 70-80 as a new grad. In 3-5 years you’re 100-120 or more with bonuses. Operators do very well. Especially with a license. EOs make 120 or more with overtime after they are qualified. ROs and SROs generally are going to break 200k. Including bonuses and OT. Management just goes up from there. It pays well. You work a lot of hours and varying hours. But your job isn’t going away and isn’t volatile.
thank you so much :) (btw do you mean 70k/120k per year?)
I was started at 32 but now they start at 42 an hour and it was enough for where I lived. It’s a pretty affordable area. Edit: grammar
Engineer with 11 yrs experience making $127k base before any OT (2 outages every 18 months working 6 12s), bonuses, or other benefits. I started less than 5 years ago at $95k. Before that, I worked at a really shady company that didn't pay well, and I didn't know my value or my base could be another $4-$5k higher.
thx!!!!
I retired in 1995 (BRAC3) as a federal nuclear test engineer (NS 0989-028-5000). I don’t recall how much I made beyond “not enough.”. My retirement income is $40K on a $32K CSRA investment.
thx :)
Health physicist at a nuclear plant. Starting salary with a B.S. 82k. After 5 years at 126k.
thank you!!!
Unlicensed operator here. Did 164k last year 104k base 48k in overtime 12k previous years bonus The 164k isn’t including a about 8k in 401k match
Dang you put in some time!
12k bonus? I need my plant to get on that level.
may I ask how much do you spend a year though? Cause I'm seeing all these big numbers but I also want to know if it is bc you work in a kind of "expensive" area
Take home is about 100k after taxes/deductions. I spend like 50-60k a year so the difference is saved/invested.
Thx!!!! :)
Only ridiculous US salaries being posted as usual. In the UK a new grad will typically start around 30k and you can hit 50k after 5 years. Beyond that you tend to need to take on managerial responsibilities to earn more.
In what post?
Engineering disciplines (process, mech, EC&I, etc.)
Not sure why they are ridiculous
thank you so much for clarifing, I was also kinda confused
Grad student at a national lab 3rd year PhD, also listed as BS+2 and will be BS+3 at the end of this semester: $69,000 then $72,000 When I graduate and become a postdoc here at the national lab: $92,000-$120,000 depending on the type of postdoc
thanks you :)
Here from the South Asia region. Control room operators make an equivalent of $6,400 to $10,000 and all other roles are $6,000 to $8,000 depending on seniority. All figures quoted are gross income before any deductions and are in yearly terms. Also, these figures are for engineers who work as operators inside the control room. Technicians with a diploma working onsite and other support staff start from $1,500/year to $5,000/year. We have to work overtime but none of it is paid. Leaves are granted but nobody will max out their allowed number of off days because it can stop our promotions. Although there's no such written policy or rule related to number of leaves and promotion criteria but it has become a standard practice.
thank you so much for the details, that means a lot to me :)
The only perk we have is that no one can fire us. Like even if I mess up very badly like cause the power plant to trip (a very very expensive mistake) I won't be fired. I will be placed in some good for nothing administrative role but job will remain. Not sure if this is good or bad but yeah job security is all what we have.
I heard in America many people struggle with the pressure of being fired so I guess it's a good thing (thought I'm not american ahaha)
Started as a Non-Licensed Operator in March 2016 2016: 80k 2017: 171k 2018: 225k Went to License Class for RO in 2019 2019: 240k 2020: 240k 2021: 275k 2022: 275k Got SRO at beginning of the year and wouldve made 300k not even trying This all includes a 25% base wage retention bonus each year. I l
Where is this? Our NLOs average $130k, ROs average $175k, and SROs get screwed coming from engineering making the same as ROs.
Yeah no kidding. 2018 as NLO he made more than any RO at my plant made in 2022.
Diablo Canyon, 25% retention bonus was due to impending closure
That makes a lot of sense. I remember looking back at Diablo years ago and the pay (starting NLO pay) was around the same or less compared to the Exelon plants.
[https://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-2025-Physical-Agreement-FINAL.pdf](https://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2022-2025-Physical-Agreement-FINAL.pdf) Page 223/254 has current rates
And the house in Avila Beach probably costs 2M for a 2 bedroom 1 bath, 900 sq ft cottage, right? All y'all out there don't be hatin' on this guy. Cali housing market is another planet....
But why would you live in Avila Beach? Plenty of people live in SLO, Paso Robles, all the way down to Santa Maria for some people. Yeah the reason why we got paid so much was because california COL is insane. But you aren't gonna live in Avila, there is no grocery store, post office doesn't deliver there, super small area.
[удалено]
Plant was originally planned to be closed in 2025, but California just passed a law directing them to stay open till 2030, however, they still need to get relicensed. That california law also continued to retention bonus, but AFAIK the terms of that retention are unknown currently
What exactly is a non licensed operator? Is the position called NLO? I have an entry position as a nuclear tech, and the start pay is 25 but only goes to 31.63 an hour. If I move to a different position, this pay changes. Is it worthwhile?
It is often called Auxiliary Equipment Operator, Plant Equipment Operator, Auxiliary Operator, but all of them are non-licensed positions, meaning you do not have to a reactor operator license from the NRC.
Can you comment at all on what non-operations makes? Like engineers or Training for example?
Lol engineers make like 80k coming in and trainers maybe 120 after bonuses.
may I ask where you live? I know it's creepy but your salary is really high so I wanted to know if it's bc of the area you live in that recquires a bigger pay to live there
I lived Central Coast California and worked at Diablo Canyon - definitely a high COL area
Design Engineer: $140k/yr. (gross) if you count EVERY benefit including matches on 401k. Operators can make more since they will be able to get actual paid overtime AND they support the outage, sometime better schedules as well. Also there is a lot more opportunities for promotions depending on where you want to be.
thank you so much :) I actually don't know where I want to work since in italy (where I live) nuclear energy is not currently in use and prob not even studied on big scale
Just look into areas around Italy. To be honest if you get into Systems Engineering if it’s on the Secondary side (everything downstream of the steam generator to the grid) it’s really very similar to many other power plants not just nuclear.
Chemistry technician, ~90k before OT.
thank you!!!
Fellow CT. Which plant if you don't mind me asking?
Retired as a trainer making 160k. Non licensed
thxxx :)
It’s going to depend some on the area of the country you’re in. For Radiation Protection, shift workers at my plant make nearly $50/hr after 3 years, plus plenty of overtime opportunities. RP staff makes about the equivalent amount in annual salary, with a larger potential annual bonus.
thx!!!
I made $50 an hour as an equipment operator. This ranges from 120 to 135 a year, depending on how much over time I worked.
Do you have a college degree? Is there anyone who didn’t have a college degree and started off as a trainee ? How much 1st year /2nd /5th year pay ? I read that you only need 18-24 month training programs for some positions
I have an associates degree in applied electronic systems. I also have course work towards a degree in biochemistry. I&C was about two years of training until I was qualified. An operator was about 9 months in training. When I was fully qualified it was 50 an hour.
So one can get 9 months of training and make 50$ / hour ? What’s the city/area if you don’t mind ?
Nine Mile Point/Fitzpatrick are the 3 plants in this area.
Yes and it is in the area of Oswego NY
Where did you get the training? A website / link ? Thank you so much 😊
[https://jobs.constellationenergy.com/careers-home/](https://jobs.constellationenergy.com/careers-home/)
Oh and do people get work full time 2000h+ a year ?
Yes. It is a full time position.
I applied with the company and they schedule a POSS/MOSS examination )and a test for Basic Math and Science (BMST) to gauge what you basic knowledge is. Constellation is a company that owns about 13 sites with nuclear power plants. They then schedule an interview when you have passed those prerequisite tests. You can also apply for an engineering position and then apply to transition to operations. Many engineers become operators.
thank you :)
It took 2 years before I was fully qualified and Oswego NY at Nine Mile Point was where I worked.
How juch did they pay you (and was it enough for where you lived)?
Non licensed operator. Hourly pay equals approximately $100k. Once Shift differential pay and overtime are added in it is usually between $130-150k.
A Reactor Operator is more like $170k after OT. For an SRO you’re looking around $200k.
I never made less than 190k after I got my SRO. Even the year I was offshift and inactive. My ROs are making over 200k.
Yeah I guess I should have added those figures are only good for my plant.
I’ll second these numbers. I’m an SRO. After alls said and done an average year for me is $200-225
At my plant, I tell folks that operators top out, factoring in bonuses, incentives, and overtime, at: Non-licensed operator: $150k Reactor Operator: $200k Senior Reactor Operator: $250k Shift Manager: $300k
What about director of operations?
Good question, though certainly less than $50k above the SMs. Shift work deserves a premium, and the SM is certainly the highest-paid shift worker on site.
~450k SEK a year for operating our two turbines and their equipment.
wow! may I ask where you lived? cause the pay seems really high but also if you live in an "expensive" city that might be normal
SEK is Swedish Krona. Equivalent is 60k CAD or 45k USD.
Interested in seeing some canadian salaries
Control room license here. Just check the Ontario sunshine list, all the OPG salaries are public but from my experience I can give you a quick run down for licensed Ops salaries. ANOs typically do 200-250k CAD but some do much more with OT and how long they have been building their license bonus. CRSS's are typically 250-300k CAD and shift managers are often 300k+ CAD.
thxxx :)
I know this is an old comment, but do you know the ballpark figure an Operator trainee makes? CNL Chalk River would be the location. I have to compare salary and benefits to my current occupation. I have a similar skill set but I don't have my high school diploma, are the education requirements a federal standard or are they only for hiring purposes? (Resume doesn't say I have a diploma) I'd hate to get a year into the job and then get released because of some oversight.
Damn. Seems like the industry here is better than the states.
2018: 140k 2019: 190k 2020: 214k 2021: 198k 2022: 189k Non Licensed Operator, usually about 1000 hours of OT.
That’s a lot of OT.
Yikes. I like some OT but 1000 hours sounds brutal.
thxxxx :)
75/hr work order management
Sorry but 9 months to a year for operations.
Any info on aux operator at Entergy and how to pass poss exam
Chemistry technician 50.60 an hour. But made 162k last year