AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Nuclear Power Reactor Operators?

Task-level automation exposure for Nuclear Power Reactor Operators: 19 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

39% weighted task index

19 of 19 tasks scored

Median Salary

$122,890 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Low

5,150 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

-5.9% employment change

400 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 5 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$108,650 – $129,580

Highest medians

New York $129,580

Illinois $123,980

Alabama $119,000

South Carolina $118,620

Nebraska $108,650

Lowest medians

Nebraska $108,650

South Carolina $118,620

Alabama $119,000

Illinois $123,980

New York $129,580

State figures come from the 51-8011 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 39%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 36%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 34%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 11%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 82/100 High

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

19 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 18%

3 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 26%

4 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 56%

12 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Constituent Tasks

#19911 · Core · 20% automatable

Operate nuclear power reactors in accordance with policies and procedures to protect workers from radiation and to ensure environmental safety.

physical manipulation — Plant equipment operation needs hands-on control and judgment

Operate energy production equipment.

#8506 · Core · 20% automatable

Adjust controls to position rod and to regulate flux level, reactor period, coolant temperature, or rate of power flow, following standard procedures.

physical manipulation — Hands-on energy distribution equipment operation

Operate energy distribution equipment.

#20680 · Core · 60% automatable

Develop or implement actions such as lockouts, tagouts, or clearances to allow equipment to be safely repaired.

decision support — Sequence planning aided; production constraints human-verified

Plan production or operational procedures or sequences.

#8507 · Core · 39% automatable

Respond to system or unit abnormalities, diagnosing the cause, and recommending or taking corrective action.

decision support — Generates improvement options; human tailors and owns

Diagnose equipment malfunctions. Maintain sustainable energy production equipment. Advise others on ways to improve processes or products.

#8508 · Core · 42% automatable

Monitor all systems for normal running conditions, performing activities such as checking gauges to assess output or the effects of generator loading on other equipment.

visual inspection — Sensor/vision monitoring possible, but physical verification and accountability remain human

Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.

#8511 · Core · 31% automatable

Monitor or operate boilers, turbines, wells, or auxiliary power plant equipment.

visual inspection — Sensor/vision monitoring possible, but physical verification and accountability remain human

Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning. Operate energy production equipment.

#8513 · Core · 82% automatable

Record operating data, such as the results of surveillance tests.

data analysis — Record production data into structured logs

Record operational or production data.

#8509 · Core · 20% automatable

Implement operational procedures, such as those controlling start-up or shut-down activities.

physical manipulation — Plant equipment operation needs hands-on control and judgment

Operate energy production equipment.

#8510 · Core · 52% automatable

Note malfunctions of equipment, instruments, or controls and report these conditions to supervisors.

text generation — Notifying maintenance needs is routine messaging

Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions. Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.

#8514 · Core · 8% automatable

Participate in nuclear fuel element handling activities, such as preparation, transfer, loading, or unloading.

physical manipulation — Physical moving of products between work areas

Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.

#8512 · Core · 55% automatable

Dispatch orders or instructions to personnel through radiotelephone or intercommunication systems to coordinate auxiliary equipment operation.

interpersonal — Colleague information exchange is relational, contextual

Exchange information with colleagues.

#20681 · Core · 75% automatable

Review and edit standard operating procedures.

text generation — Document organizational procedures from provided content

Document organizational or operational procedures.

#8515 · Core · 20% automatable

Conduct inspections or operations outside of control rooms as necessary.

visual inspection — Facility inspection is inherently physical

Inspect facilities.

#8516 · Supplemental · 30% automatable

Direct reactor operators in emergency situations, in accordance with emergency operating procedures.