Nuclear Technician

Nuclear technology is a field that has seen dramatic growth in the last 50 years, but it also comes with hazards. Slow release of nuclear components results in an array of positive products, the most common of which is power. But when there’s a leak, when the chemical components overheat, or when a malfunction causes an explosion, the result is dangerous contamination that can kill everything in its path.

As a Nuclear Technician, you hold one of many jobs that involve monitoring, maintaining, operating, and repairing machines so that accidents don’t occur. As a Nuclear Technician, you might go by the title of Nuclear Reactor Operator or Accelerator Operator, and operate machines at a nuclear power plant. Or you might measure radiation levels, record results, and concentrate on safety as a Radiation Monitor.

Radiographers run machines (similar to x-rays) that inspect large, hard-to-reach objects from the inside out, looking for cracks or flaws. Decontamination Workers clean up after a spill, or work to dismantle decommissioned power plants. And Hot-Cell Technicians guide remote-controlled arms or robots into dangerous areas to make repairs.

Whether you decide to work with researchers to discover new, safer, and more efficient technologies, or with medical patients in radiology, the area of nuclear technology holds a lot of potential for someone who is on a career path as a Nuclear Technician. It will continue to open doors for those who are knowledgeable about the field.