Nuclear Monitoring Technicians
Collect and test samples to monitor results of nuclear experiments and contamination of humans, facilities, and environment.
Also known as: Cathodic Protection Technician, Chemical Radiation Technician, Decontaminator, Health Physics Technician (HP Tech), Instrumentation Control Specialist, Laboratory Control Specialist, Metallographic Technician, Nuclear Chemistry Technician, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Declining)
What You'd Do
- Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.
- Provide initial response to abnormal events or to alarms from radiation monitoring equipment.
- Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.
- Inform supervisors when individual exposures or area radiation levels approach maximum permissible limits.
- Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment.
- Determine intensities and types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.
- Collect samples of air, water, gases, or solids to determine radioactivity levels of contamination.
- Set up equipment that automatically detects area radiation deviations and test detection equipment to ensure its accuracy.
- Determine or recommend radioactive decontamination procedures, according to the size and nature of equipment and the degree of contamination.
- Decontaminate objects by cleaning with soap or solvents or by abrading with wire brushes, buffing wheels, or sandblasting machines.
- Prepare reports describing contamination tests, material or equipment decontaminated, or methods used in decontamination processes.
- Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas.
- Analyze samples, such as air or water samples, for contaminants or other elements.
- Place radioactive waste, such as sweepings or broken sample bottles, into containers for shipping or disposal.
- Calibrate and maintain chemical instrumentation sensing elements and sampling system equipment, using calibration instruments and hand tools.
- Enter data into computers to record characteristics of nuclear events or to locate coordinates of particles.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.