Nuclear Technicians build operations monitoring, quality control analysis and operation and control skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (88%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear Power Reactor Operators | 88% | $122,890 | +11% | None |
| 2 | Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | 87% | $102,040Pay for the broader BLS group “Power Plant Operators” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Biomass Plant Technicians | 86% | $102,040Pay for the broader BLS group “Power Plant Operators” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Power Plant Operators | 85% | $102,040 | −7% | None |
| 5 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | 81% | $103,020 | −7% | None |
| 6 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | 79% | $78,620 | −29% | None |
| 7 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 77% | $96,710 | −12% | None |
| 8 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | 76% | $106,730 | −3% | None |
| 9 | Gas Plant Operators | 75% | $87,820 | −20% | None |
| 10 | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | 73% | $82,890 | −25% | None |
Compared with Nuclear Technicians, median $110,240. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as nuclear technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
88% skill match · $122,890 · +11% pay
Operation and Control · Management of Personnel Resources · Complex Problem Solving
87% skill match · $102,040 (broader BLS group)
Equipment Maintenance · Installation · Repairing
86% skill match · $102,040 (broader BLS group)
Operation and Control · Operations Analysis
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (88% skill match, median $122,890), Hydroelectric Plant Technicians (87% skill match, median $102,040) and Biomass Plant Technicians (86% skill match, median $102,040), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 2 pay more than nuclear technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Commercial Pilots (+12%, $123,220) and Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (+11%, $122,890).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.