Will AI replace nuclear monitoring technicians?

Not replace, but it is changing the job. About 1h 59m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by robots. The other 6h 1m (75%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 1.1% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 2 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 1h 59m of a typical shift. 5 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 2 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Determine intensities and types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments. (1h 23m a shift; e.g. Spot (with radiation detection payload), in use)
• Analyze samples, such as air or water samples, for contaminants or other elements. (36m a shift; e.g. Hidex 300 SL automatic TDCR liquid scintillation counter, in use)

6h 1m of a typical shift, or 75%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure. (59m a shift)
• Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas. (36m a shift)
• Collect samples of air, water, gases, or solids to determine radioactivity levels of contamination. (36m a shift)
• Prepare reports describing contamination tests, material or equipment decontaminated, or methods used in decontamination processes. (36m a shift)
• Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment. (30m a shift)

Part of the answer is the setting, not just the tasks. Work that is in person, hands on or high stakes is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 98% talk face to face with others every day
• 88% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 72% work at arm's length or closer to other people

On Indeed, job postings in the Scientific Research & Development sector are at 84% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 19.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 900 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $110,240 a year ($53.00 an hour), 116% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $73,150 and $133,600 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 1.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 6,800 jobs in 2035. It expects about 900 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 6,470 people in the U.S., roughly 0.00% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 711th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 6,800 in 2035.

The most common requirement is an associate's degree: about 29% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Science, Quality Control Analysis
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 6h 1m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Azure software, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Document results from radiation and contamination surveys.
• Inspect, test, and maintain respiratory protection equipment.
• Write radiological work permits.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Nuclear Power Reactor Operators (19m touched, $123k median pay)
• Nuclear Technicians (1h 31m touched, $110k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 2 with robots in real deployments, 14 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.