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Nuclear Monitoring Technicians

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure

What they do

Collect and test samples to monitor results of nuclear experiments and contamination of humans, facilities, and environment.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $110,240 Median per year · $53.00/hr Most earn $73,150–$133,600

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas.
  • Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.
  • Calibrate and maintain chemical instrumentation sensing elements and sampling system equipment, using calibration instruments and hand tools.
  • Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.
  • Prepare reports describing contamination tests, material or equipment decontaminated, or methods used in decontamination processes.
  • Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Nuclear electric power generation52.2%
  • Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences10.4%
  • Engineering services6.3%
  • Waste treatment and disposal3.2%
  • Self-employed (their own business)2.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Nuclear Monitoring Technician is usually not a straight-out-of-school job. Most people first earn a certificate or apprenticeship and gain about 1 to 2 years of related hands-on experience, often as a nuclear technician, before taking this role.

  1. High school diploma with strong math and science

    4 years

    Courses in algebra, chemistry, physics, and biology build the basics you need for radiation measurement and lab work.

  2. Certificate or apprenticeship in radiation protection or nuclear technology

    About 1 year

    Formal training teaches sampling methods, radiation detection instruments, safety procedures, and record keeping.

  3. Nuclear Technician

    1-2 years

    Working under experienced staff, you collect samples and run instruments, building the 1 to 2 years of experience employers usually expect.

  4. Nuclear Monitoring Technician

    Ongoing career

    You take responsibility for monitoring people, facilities, and the environment for contamination and recording the results accurately.

Where it can lead

  1. Health Physicist

    3-5 years of experience first

    You would plan and lead radiation protection programs instead of mainly collecting data, which usually requires a bachelor's degree in physics or health physics.

  2. Nuclear Engineer

    2-4 years of experience first

    You would design, analyze, and improve nuclear systems, which typically requires a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry, physics, and advanced mathThese classes give you the science and measurement skills used in radiation monitoring and sample testing.
  • Join a science club or science fairHands-on projects teach you to collect data, follow methods, and explain results clearly.
  • Get a part-time job or volunteer at a lab or hospitalSeeing how labs and safety procedures work gives you real-world context and a reference for future jobs.
  • Practice careful, step-by-step workMany tasks here need accuracy and following protocols exactly, so build those habits in every class.

In college

  • Take chemistry, physics, and radiation-related coursesCoursework in radiation physics or radiological safety builds the knowledge you need for monitoring work.
  • Look for a lab or research assistant jobCampus lab jobs teach you sampling, instrument use, and documentation, which are core skills in this career.
  • Pursue a certificate or apprenticeship in radiation protection or nuclear technologyA formal credential shows employers you have the specific training this job requires.
  • Join a safety or science student organizationGroups like these help you learn safety practices and meet people working in the field.
  • Seek an internship at a nuclear facility, environmental lab, or hospital radiology departmentHands-on experience counts toward the 1 to 2 years of related work employers often want.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a science teacher or local employer about radiation safety or lab technician training. Knowing how to follow procedures carefully is valued in this field.
  • Keep a neat lab notebook and practice recording measurements accurately. Precise record keeping is a big part of this job.
  • Learn basic computer skills, such as spreadsheets, since monitoring results are often entered and tracked digitally.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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