Nuclear Technician

[hamirick]

Hello,

I am interested in becoming a Nuclear Technician. I was home schooled and have a 4.0GPA, however, no diploma. I do have my GED, and some college, also with a 4.0GPA and on the President's List. I am currently a web developer and have maintained the same job for 4+ years. I am 23 years-old.

I am curious, would I need to go to college, or is on the job training an option? If college is required, are there any options for them in North Georgia? Online courses?

Also, I know the background check are strict, I have never touched drugs, and have never had any violent charges against me, but I do have a bad driving record.... would that be an issue?

Are there any job openings around North Georgia?

This job interest me, as I feel like I am at the end of my web development career. I like my job, but it does not challenge me anymore, and I feel like it's time for a big change. Quite honestly, I want to provide a better life for my wife, and future children. My brother, who is an electrical engineer and has worked in Nuclear Power Plants, had mentioned Nuclear Tech to me as an option for my aptitude.

I'm just looking for some basic guidance, and advise from a pro.

Thank you!

[Fermi2]

See that neat button in the right side of this page labeled SEARCH?

[hamirick]

Thanks for the "information".

I was actually hoping to hear from someone that is familiar with the job itself.

I already used the search function. I already looked for schools in my area, as well as job placement opportunities.

I am simply looking for someone who is in the field to give me viable feedback from actual knowledge in the field.

I thought this was a forum for discussion, not a wiki. Sorry.

Thanks.

[retired nuke]

Define Nuclear Technician -
Sounds like you would be at least partially qualified for IT work at a nuke plant - but it would be less challenging than what you do now.
Instrument & Controls - I&C - electronics hardware, some old analog stuff, some digital.
Non- Licensed Operator - AO - NLO - EO - valve turner, operates the systems in the plant that are not controlled in the control room.

You want info, but you are asking crap for questions. That's why you were sent to the search function. If you actually did some research, you would be able to form a question that can be answered.

Most of us on here are "nuclear technicians" of some form or other. Mechanical, Electrical, Operations, Radiation, Computer, Engineering... get the point?

Waddyawannabe when you grow up?? 

[hamirick]

Hello HouseDad,

Thank you for your reply. I found your reply much more constructive and helpful, keep in mind, I am on the outside looking in right now.

I would be curious to know the compensation for each of those positions, as everything I have found regarding salaries, only specifies one type of "Nuclear Technician".

While I want to change career paths, compensation for myself, wife and family (future) is also a heavy consideration.

My skills/aptitude sounds like I would be qualified and enjoy the electrical/computer side of things. But again, I am outside looking in. I have tried researching online, and even contacted a few employees at the power plant in Huntsville for guidance, but I'm having a hard time getting specifics about the job titles/responsibilities/compensation.

Thanks.

[Fermi2]

All that is here. So search. You won't be handed anything in the industry. I'd think a 4.0 Average would have taught you some self sufficiency

[retired nuke]

$50k - $150k... more or less
 
Much like the oldest profession, it depends upon what you are doing, where you are doing it, and how good you are at it.

[hamirick]

Broadzilla,

Thank you for the incredibly unhelpful reply. I'm sorry life has been harsh for you. I highly doubt you were born with all of the industry knowledge that you have. I would think the owners/operators of this board would welcome new members, rather than have one of their "regular" members bashing them for asking legitimate questions. I would think life would teach you to be more socially pleasant, guess we're both wrong.

I'm not looking to receive "handed" anything, just helpful and intuitive guidance. Isn't that the point of this website? Maybe I am mistaken. By all means, please do show me where it list the salary/responsibilities for the various "Nuclear Technician" positions and I will eat my own foot.

I found some information on NLO, but that has been all. I'm curious if we were face-to-face if you would be more helpful, or if you would still be rude. Again, I am not trying to be handed anything and I'm not looking to be flamed for asking legitimate questions on a forum for the industry.

I have contacted employees, searched Google, as well as here, and am still not able to find all of the information. How do you think I came upon this site?

Does anyone else have any input? Or maybe point me to a industry website that is more helpful?

Thanks.

[hamirick]

HouseDad,

Thank you again. That gave me the ballpark that I needed to pursue finding out more about the industry.

Can you maybe help me with the specific titles?

I&C sounds like it where I want to be. Should I search for "Nuclear Technician I&C", or is there a specific job title? Again, I'm not finding many results.

In your opinion, what would be the best entry level job, with no industry specific experience, but utilizing my other skill-sets? Basically, what job could I do in the industry with out college for it? My goal here is to find a job, take it by the horns, and then pursue college while maintaining that position to further my education/job in the industry.

Thanks for your help!

[Fermi2]

Life has been just grand, and I EARNED my knowledge just like I expect you should.

[hamirick]

I am going to post a helpful link for others who may stumble upon this thread:
http://www.nei.org/Careers-Education/Careers-in-the-Nuclear-Industry/Help-for-Your-Job-Search/Sample-Job-Descriptions-and-Salaries/

Thanks.

[IRLFAN]

I&C sounds like it where I want to be. Should I search for "Nuclear Technician I&C", or is there a specific job title? Again, I'm not finding many results.

Don't bother.  A web developer has no qualification whatsoever for an I&C technician position.  You could refer to  ANSI standard AAN-18,1-1971, Selection and Training of Nuclear Power Plant Personnel, but it's hard to find for free online, especially for someone who has trouble with searching.

To sum up, you have no experience, no qualifications, and apparently no applicable training.  So why do you think some company is going to employ you in such a position?

[Fermi2]

Don't bother.  A web developer has no qualification whatsoever for an I&C technician position.  You could refer to  ANSI standard AAN-18,1-1971, Selection and Training of Nuclear Power Plant Personnel, but it's hard to find for free online, especially for someone who has trouble with searching.

To sum up, you have no experience, no qualifications, and apparently no applicable training.  So why do you think some company is going to employ you in such a position?

Especially when there are 5 plants worth of out of work I and C Techs. I had hoped he would come to the right conclusion on his own.

[hamsamich]

I would shoot for an IT job first, then move over to I&C tech if that is what you really want.  The rule for nuclear jobs is get your foot in the door first, get the job you are actually after 2nd.  Still, it will be harder to switch from IT to I &C then say Operator to Maintenance, but not impossible.  If you prove yourself as an indispensable worker and want to switch, there is much more hope for you.  Mediocre workers have a much harder time switching once their mediocrity is apparent.

[hogs]

Wow, you guys are being really salty. That said, I think HouseDad got it right when he said you weren't asking the right questions. We don't know what you're really interested in.
Some people with "nuclear technician" titles are also in facilities maintenance or are administrative assistants. With your computer skills, a clerical position might be a good fit. Since you have some college, you might squeeze in. You've done web development but I don't know if that means any scripting or database work. IT would also want you to have some network skills and more schooling. Any work, even if you initially think it's not for you long-term, is an opportunity to see more about what really interests you. It doesn't seem like you have a clear idea of it. You're going to need more focused education if you want a step up, but I am not familiar with Georgia. My answer to you is administrative work, if you're lucky and smart.

[hamirick]

Thank you for the replies guys!

I was under the impression that Nuclear Technician's were part of a growing field. Is this not accurate?

Let me ask a very specific question:
What is the best entry level job, without college or experience to get my foot in the door. I'll be a janitor if that is where I need to start.

I plan on further my education, but need an entry to the industry first.

Thanks.

[Nuclear NASCAR]

What it sounds like you are asking about in your last post is a Radiation Protection technician.   Would that be a correct presumption?

[hamirick]

Hey Nuclear NASCAR,

That seems like it may be accurate. Again, I'm outside looking in. Would this be the base level, entry job with no college?

I am setting appointments with a few colleges that offer Nuclear courses. Anyone with any knowledge of Georgia Northwestern Technical College?

Hogs: I looked at a few administrative positions, and ironically, I do not qualify for any that I have found.

I have also been looking at traditional power companies to try to get my foot in the door that way. I am very eager to learn if this is something I can do.

Thanks.

[Naysayer1203]

I work in RP at an Exelon site and if you are considering going the Technical School route, I would suggest Linn State Technical College.  They offer Rad Pro and I & C focus for their Nuclear Technology Associates Degree Program.  Many utilities will hire graduates as Junior or "B" Level Techs right out of school.  You also get to work as an intern during refueling outages which will give you a general idea if this industry is something that you are cut out for.

I have plenty of friends and colleagues that have went this route.  I chose to start as a deconner during outages to get my foot in the door for a house job as a tech.

Bottom line, there are options out there for you no matter what people tell you.  You just have to be willing to put in the work, take some jobs that others turn down, and be willing to relocate.

Best of luck.

[cheme09]

I was under the impression that Nuclear Technician's were part of a growing field. Is this not accurate?

Man, this is painful.  Let me lay it out in plain language.  There is no specific job description of Nuclear Technician that is consistent across the industry.  For example: rad Techs are nuclear technicians; electricians are nuclear technicians; mechanics are nuclear technicians; operators can be considered nuclear technicians; designers can be considered nuclear technicians; etc.

I'm not looking to receive "handed" anything, just helpful and intuitive guidance.

By all means, please do show me where it list the salary/responsibilities for the various "Nuclear Technician" positions and I will eat my own foot.

Do the two statements above not contradict each other?

As a computer guy, you should know what GIGO means.  Ask the right question to get the answer you're looking for...or as most of us (especially BZ) would prefer, show that you've put forth legitimate effort in finding your answer before asking.  Again most of the info it seems you're looking for has been talked about at length on this forum.  But if you legitimately cannot find something we're here for you.

[GLW]

What it sounds like you are asking about in your last post is a Radiation Protection technician.   Would that be a correct presumption?

Hey Nuclear NASCAR,

That seems like it may be accurate. Again, I'm outside looking in. Would this be the base level, entry job with no college?

No.

[hamirick]

cheme09,

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

I do understand gigo. I'm also trying to be more specific in my questions. I am most interested in I&C, but I am not familiar enough to know what the best foot in the door opportunity would be. Everything that I have found, states minimum of an associates degree for I&C, so I have feelers out with a few different tech schools about admission, tuition, and specific courses.

So again, I'm going to try to ask a question that I cannot find the answer for, and I do not know how to be more specific. To get my foot in the door, while I'm taking classes for I&C (Probably in Columbia, SC), what jobs do I need to keep an eye out for? Do any even exist?

I have a very good family contact with the head of Seimen's HR who can put me in touch with hiring departments in different plants. But before I go there, I need to know what I'm looking for.

Please help me. That is all I'm asking for. Point me in the right direction, and I promise I'll go there.

Thank you all for trying to help. I understand I am more than a newbie to this. I just want a better life for my family, and a better career for myself.

[ddickey]

The entry level get your foot in the door job is called general plant helper. Yes, it's a janitor job among other duties. You could be in this position for a year or ten. All movement is based on seniority, at least the utility I've been trying to get into. So far I've had no success in getting a job there.
I graduated from an NUCP school with four AAS degrees one of which is Power Plant Technician (Nuclear) and I also have the NUCP certificate, so far to which has been worthless imo. I am finding close to impossible to get in with no prior power plant experience, especially if you haven't a relative that works for the utility you're trying to get in with.

[hamirick]

Hello ddickey,

That is a little bit depressing. I have contacted Linn State based on Naysayer1203's advise.

Hopefully the instructor will be more than honest about the career path.

Thanks.

[ddickey]

It is a little yes.
From what I've heard Linn State has had very little luck in placing their nuc graduates. Make sure you ask him that. How many graduated? How many are working in nuc plants and at what capacity? Also, ask him about the NUCP certificate. Like I said, so far it has appeared worthless for me, however,  I was told by a very unreliable source that it will be required to get into any nuc plant in the future.

[hamirick]

ddickey,

Thank you. i will take your advice!

[Naysayer1203]

I never attended Linn State so I can't speak to their number of graduates in a given year vs how many of said graduates were hired.  What I can tell you is that over the last 3 years, we have hired 7 new RPT's of which 5 of them were Linn State grads.

[cheme09]

I do understand gigo. I'm also trying to be more specific in my questions. I am most interested in I&C,

There was a post recently talking about I&C and if doing unrelated work as a nuclear badged employee would help that person transfer into the I&C group.  See if you can find it.  The bottom line was that to get into I&C, either a tech degree in I&C or experience in either non-nuclear or nuclear I&C (preferablly both) would be the best bet.

The general idea that working at a nuclear plant as a badged employee will help you transfer to other departments should be taken lightly.  It really only works for certain departments.  For something like I&C generally need to already have the prerequisite knowledge and/or experience. 

[hamirick]

I never attended Linn State so I can't speak to their number of graduates in a given year vs how many of said graduates were hired.  What I can tell you is that over the last 3 years, we have hired 7 new RPT's of which 5 of them were Linn State grads.

I appreciate the information. I will be sure to ask about the specific numbers as well.

There was a post recently talking about I&C and if doing unrelated work as a nuclear badged employee would help that person transfer into the I&C group.  See if you can find it.  The bottom line was that to get into I&C, either a tech degree in I&C or experience in either non-nuclear or nuclear I&C (preferablly both) would be the best bet.

The general idea that working at a nuclear plant as a badged employee will help you transfer to other departments should be taken lightly.  It really only works for certain departments.  For something like I&C generally need to already have the prerequisite knowledge and/or experience. 

I will look for that now. I will take that lightly. From what I can find, I may be better off taking an I&C job outside of an NPP to get the experience required. That of course would not be preferred, but is an option.

Thank you both for your help.

[hamirick]

If anyone else was curious, Linn State gave me the following numbers for their Nuclear Technology:
Overall Placement-90% Related to Education-79%

Thanks.

[shipoffools]

Maybe you saw the "nuclear technician" posting on southern company's jobsite - that's the only place I recall seeing that particular job title.  As others have touched on, I believe that was an entry level position geared toward those with Associate degrees in relevant areas.  After the nuclear program was developed at Augusta Tech, I imagine the grads who were hired started in that role.  Don't take this as gospel, but from what I remember of that posting, after an introductory period the "nuclear technician" moves into a specific department at the site, presumably based on the employee's interest and training, and company's need (I&C, Electrical Maintenance, Ops, etc).  The starting salary was in the n'hood of $17/hr - I'm sure someone familiar with SoCo will chime in if this is in the ballpark or not. 

Where in Cola SC are you going to be taking I&C classes? 

[hamsamich]

Some of those placement numbers may include temporary contract positions, which is a good way to get your foot in the door.  These positions can be called different things by the many nuclear power plants out there.

FME Worker, Laborer, Junior Deconner, Deconner, Maintenance Helper, Fire Watch, Junior RP, Junior HP. There are others.

I don't think anybody is trying to feed you bad info, but you should have said straight up you would do anything.  It sounded like in your original post you were targeting something specific but didn't know the name of it.

Try searching nukeworker: entry level, foot in the door, junior, deconner, begin with all forms of the word (ing, er), see above.  Companies that do this are Bartlett, Atlantic, Shaw.

It is really hard to get a full time entry level job at a nuclear power plant right now unless qualified or you know someone.  Much easier to get a contract position, but you have to work at it. 

This info is on nukeworker.  Some people on here do like an open forum but it would be a much more helpful if you took a look at what others have posted first.  That would make it easier to help you, and you will get more out of it too.   Maybe you did do some research, but your questions don't indicate that.

[Content1]

You might have noticed many of the responses were less than helpful. This is a very competitive industry and they want people joining who are pretty much "self-starters" and are thorough in their personal research prior to posting at this website. There are numerous posts on how to get into the industry people expect for you to have read them thoroughly prior to asking questions. There are two-year programs out there but they don't guarantee you a job. Many people in the industry have come from other fields so they can draw on the knowledge base they have learned in previous professions. On the road I have met many ex-teachers, policemen, former Navy nuclear personnel, electricians and other professionals. They left their other jobs to the quest for "low hanging fruit" or a job they are overqualified for, but it pays well.  I was a special education teacher, I have been to law school and I am an ex-navy nuke.  If you come from a web developer background you have a long way to go.  Nowadays the industry wants to invest in as little training is possible for the worker. It may be wiser to seek the growth industries like natural gas operations or solar power developers. The other method is is to have friends already in the business who have enough pull of their own who know what the new jobs are and what it takes to get in. Good luck in your pursuits.

[Fermi2]

My favorite part is a Teacher or Lawyer being overqualified for a job in the nuclear industry.

[hamirick]

Thank you for the great replies.

I am traveling to Linn State November 8th and will get as much information as possible.

I also am looking into natural gas industry jobs. It seems they have about 7.5x the workforce as NPPs. I will post back here in a few weeks and let everyone know how the Linn State tour went. I also have a personal meeting with the lead instructor and will be asking him specific placement questions.

Thank you all again, and I apologize for my initial postings not being very specific or having previous answers.

If you guys (NPP employees) had it to over again, how many of you would pick the same career path?

[hamsamich]

I think I would....but not 100%.

[UncaBuffalo]

If you guys (NPP employees) had it to over again, how many of you would pick the same career path?

Nuclear power has been very good to me.  

If I had it to do over again, I would still do nuclear power, but would have swapped over to I&C sooner.

Good luck.