Nuclear Technicians

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Communicate with accelerator maintenance personnel to ensure readiness of support systems, such as vacuum, water cooling, or radio frequency power sources.
• Measure the intensity and identify the types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.
• Decontaminate objects by cleaning them using soap or solvents or by abrading using brushes, buffing machines, or sandblasting machines.
• Collect air, water, gas or solid samples for testing to determine radioactivity levels or to ensure appropriate radioactive containment.
• Apply safety tags to equipment needing maintenance.
• Follow policies and procedures for radiation workers to ensure personnel safety.
• Monitor instruments, gauges, or recording devices under direction of nuclear experimenters.
• Calculate equipment operating factors, such as radiation times, dosages, temperatures, gamma intensities, or pressures, using standard formulas and conversion tables.
• Perform testing, maintenance, repair, or upgrading of accelerator systems.
• Identify and implement appropriate decontamination procedures, based on equipment and the size, nature, and type of contamination.
• Follow nuclear equipment operational policies and procedures that ensure environmental safety.
• Conduct surveillance testing to determine safety of nuclear equipment.
• Monitor nuclear reactor equipment performance to identify operational inefficiencies, hazards, or needs for maintenance or repair.
• Test plant equipment to ensure it is operating properly.
• Modify, devise, or maintain nuclear equipment used in operations.
• Warn maintenance workers of radiation hazards and direct workers to vacate hazardous areas.

Skills

• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

Abilities

• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Knowledge

• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Education

Education

Associate's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Columbia Basin College
  2600 N 20th Ave, Pasco WA 99301
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-547-0511
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.columbiabasin.edu/
  Program Name
  Radiation Protection/Health Physics Technician
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Associate's degree, Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years
  Save
  Program Name
  Nuclear Engineering Technology/Technician
  Length
  At least one but less than two years
  Award Level
  Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years, Associate's degree
  Save

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

100080/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

48.12/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

190

Yearly Projected Openings

30

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Perseverance
• Stress Tolerance
• Self-Control
• Cooperation
• Cautiousness
• Integrity

Tools

• Air compressors
• Borescope inspection equipment
• Bridge cranes
• Cryostats
• Diesel generators
• Digital camcorders or video cameras
• Dosimeters
• Eddy current examination equipment
• Elevators
• Footwear covers
• Frequency analyzers
• Gamma counters
• Gas welding or brazing or cutting apparatus
• Hot cell remote handling equipment
• Hot cell remote viewing device
• Leak testing equipment
• Level sensors or transmitters
• Metal inert gas welding machine
• Nuclear fuel rod
• Nuclear reactor control rod systems
• Nuclear reactor earthquake instrumentation
• Personal computers
• Pressure or steam cleaners
• Protective coveralls
• Protective gloves
• Radiation detectors
• Radioactive waste disposal systems
• Remote reading thermometers
• Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
• Respirators
• Spectrometers
• Two way radios
• Ultrasonic examination equipment
• Vibration testers
• Videoscopes
• Water purification equipment
• Welder torch

Technology

• Application server software
• Clustering software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Industrial control software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software