Nuclear Equipment Technician Job Description
Nuclear Equipment Technician Job Profile and Description
Nuclear power reactor equipment are maintained by a team of Nuclear Equipment Technicians who can function as operators if licensed by the NRC but are otherwise confined to repair, monitoring and maintenance work. But under direct supervision by nuclear engineers, they can operate reactor equipment for the release, control and use of nuclear energy in power generation
Nuclear Equipment Technician Duties and Responsibilities
- Work around reactor facilities in accordance with policies and procedures to ensure safety among radiation workers.
- Monitor all systems and respond to system aberrant conditions, diagnose and recommend preventive and corrective action for immediate approval.
- Submit inspection findings, radiation readings, and computations to supervisors for review.
- Warn other plant workers of radiation hazards and alert workers to vacate hazardous areas during emergency situations.
- Log incidents of malfunctions and report to engineers and supervisors.
- Monitor console instruments, gauges and recording devices in control rooms under direction of nuclear engineers and operators.
- Maintain, calibrate, adjust and repair equipment used in operations.
- Conduct test, maintenance, repair, and upgrades of accelerator systems.
Nuclear Equipment Technician Skills and Specifications
- Must have high comprehension skills to go through manuals and engineering bulletins in the operation of the power plant
- Must have a good familiarity with basic electricity generation
- Must have an inquisitive predisposition to understand the technicals behind each parameter in nuclear reactor operations
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
Nuclear Equipment Technician Education and Qualifications
- An associate or BS degree in the sciences is basic as most of the knowledge and skill is learned while on the job.
- 2-3 years of experience as a power plant operator is an advantage.
Nuclear Equipment Technician Salary
The median annual salary of Nuclear Equipment Technician was $32.37 per hour or $67,340 when annualized. By comparison, the median annual salary of Nuclear Power Reactor Operators was $73,320 in 2008. Only a license from the NRC separates the two positions.