How to become a Nuclear Monitoring Technician

Official title: Nuclear Monitoring Technicians

Also called: Health Physics Technician (HP Tech), Nuclear Chemistry Technician, Radiation Control Technician (Radcon Technician), Radiation Protection Specialist (RP Specialist), Radiation Protection Technician (RPT), Radiation Technician, Radiochemical Technician

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

Main tasks

• Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas.
• Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.
• Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.
• Inform supervisors when individual exposures or area radiation levels approach maximum permissible limits.
• Provide initial response to abnormal events or to alarms from radiation monitoring equipment.
• Determine intensities and types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.
• Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment.
• Collect samples of air, water, gases, or solids to determine radioactivity levels of contamination.

How to become one

Nuclear technicians typically need an associate's degree in either nuclear science or a nuclear-related technology. Some enter the occupation with a high school diploma or postsecondary nondegree award plus experience, such as from the military or an apprenticeship. Once hired, nuclear technicians typically receive extensive on-the-job training.

Typical education to start: Associate's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Radiation Monitor.
• Certificate or associate's degree: Associate's degree. Programs such as Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician; Industrial Radiologic Technology/Technician; Nuclear/Nuclear Power Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $110,240 a year The middle half earn $99,110 to $123,990.
• About 6,700 people work in this job now, and about 6,800 are projected by 2035. (+1.1%)
• People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Related jobs

• Nuclear Technicians
• Hydrologic Technicians
• Agricultural Technicians
• Precision Agriculture Technicians
• Food Science Technicians
• Biological Technicians

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Nuclear Monitoring Technician?

Nuclear technicians typically need an associate's degree in either nuclear science or a nuclear-related technology. Some enter the occupation with a high school diploma or postsecondary nondegree award plus experience, such as from the military or an apprenticeship. Once hired, nuclear technicians typically receive extensive on-the-job training.

How much does a Nuclear Monitoring Technician earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $110,240 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $99,110 to $123,990.

Is a Nuclear Monitoring Technician a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 6,700 people now and 6,800 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Nuclear Monitoring Technician?

Not always. 41% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Associate's degree; Radiation Monitor.

Will AI change the work of a Nuclear Monitoring Technician?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.