Ex-Navy nuke career questions.

[tomt98765]

I've been looking throughout the internet for some answers for these questions but I cannot find much information.  Everything from career opportunities either assumes I am either a Veteran or College graduate.

I have 2 years left on my bachelors in mechanical engineering from Penn State.
I was a nuke MM on an LA fast attack.
Made E-6 but was never paid.

Now, I've been thinking very seriously about what I want to do in the future.  I am not ruling out Nuclear power industry as a career or even power generation in general, oil industry, automotive or whatever.  

After graduation what would be the field with the highest pay?  And how much? (I am just wondering what I can reasonably expect if I work a 9-5 job).

[Old HP]

Let me know if you find a career in commercial nuclear power where you work a nine to five schedule. Also a 40 week work year would be nice too.

[DSO]

A banker or stockbroker, so change degrees shippy

[Samabby]

" I guess I should have expected that sort of reply on a navy nuke forum.  "

This attitude will get you far in any career that you enter. 

Thanks for your service.

[EM UMPTY SQUAT]

www.monster.com

[EM UMPTY SQUAT]

P.S. you are a veteran

[Nuclear NASCAR]

I guess I should have expected that sort of reply on a navy nuke forum. 

I think that reply was based on the concept of a 40 hour week in engineering or nuclear power.  They happen, but not regularly.

[hamsamich]

Alara and training guys are some of the few, but they all have to support the outage and work at least occasional OT.

[HeavyD]

Alara and training guys are some of the few, but they all have to support the outage and work at least occasional OT.

QA as well.  However, we (at my station) are salary so no OT except in rare special situations.
 

[Higgs]

QA as well.  However, we (at my station) are salary so no OT except in rare special situations.
 

This is why I'll never get out of ops. I don't work for free, and my company expects free time from non-ops salaried people.

Justin

[Contract SRO]

Alara and training guys are some of the few, but they all have to support the outage and work at least occasional OT.

I am not able to address the ALARA group but I have not had the opportunity to ever work at any utility where their training staff worked 40 hour work weeks.  Don't get me wrong, they seem to all be paid for 40 hour work weeks but the work load requires more than 40 hours to keep the work load from getting so far behind that you can not maintain accreditation.  Also the outage work is a give with many sites.

[jams723]

This is why I'll never get out of ops. I don't work for free, and my company expects free time from non-ops salaried people.

Justin

You are lucky.....  The three utilities that I have worked for did not always pay SRO's for additional time.

[DLGN25]

A nine to five worker? Hell not even at McDonalds.   

No one who excels looks for a 9-5 job as an opportunity.

Good luck to you, but if you were to interview with me for a position in the many areas I worked, I would say "Thank you for considering us."  and the then move on to the motivated person.

[spekkio]

A nine to five worker? Hell not even at McDonalds.  

No one who excels looks for a 9-5 job as an opportunity.

Good luck to you, but if you were to interview with me for a position in the many areas I worked, I would say "Thank you for considering us."  and the then move on to the motivated person.

In a way it's kinda sad that this is what society has come to, but it is generally true that if you want to get paid north of $20-30/hr your work schedule isn't going to be 9-5.

[cedugger]

Well, if you weren't ruling out nuke power before you posted, I'm sure you're considering ruling it out now after such lovely responses. Hell, you've even been shot down in a completely non-existent interview simply for inquiring into industry pay and a desire to plan ahead. Not sure why those are bad qualities in a person...tough crowd I guess!

Most of us can't really speak to what salaries one can expect outside of the nuclear industry, as this is the NukeWorker forum. As you can gather from the responses, commercial nuke power doesn't really follow a M-F, day-shift only schedule. I think you'll find the same in any electrical generating plant. As far as the oil or auto industry, I don't have slightest idea. There are regular day-shift, nuke-related jobs out there, just don't go looking at a power plant.

Best of success to you with finishing your degree. It seems as though you're getting a good jump on planning out your post-degree career.