With the ever growing demand for clean energy options, and uncertainty over the price and long term availability of fossil fuels, the once maligned nuclear energy industry is making a comeback. Nowhere is this renewed interest seen more than in the increasing job prospects in the nuclear industry. In particular demand are those who can fill nuclear engineering jobs.
The 30 year decline in interest in nuclear energy led to so many colleges and universities dropping their nuclear engineering programs that the American Nuclear Society reported a decline from 65 such programs in 1980 to less than half that now. This means that those who are entering the nuclear engineering job market now are finding their qualifications in high demand. While the ANS says that at least 700 nuclear engineering graduates are needed to fill the void left by a rapidly retiring workforce, they estimate that only about 249 new engineers are currently available each year.
Obviously, this means that nuclear engineering graduates are looking at the ideal situation when it comes to salary and job security. Those who first enter the nuclear engineering field will typically see salaries in the $60,000 range, but that can increase to around $100,000 in as little as ten years. At the current ratio of jobs becoming available versus those qualified to fill them, entry level salaries are likely to increase.
Of course, the nuclear energy field isn’t limited to college educated engineers, and those who fill other crucial positions, such as nuclear reactor operators, are finding themselves in greater demand as well. Nuclear power plant operators, who often begin their careers right out of high school and are given in depth on the job and classroom training before they are considered fully qualified, will nonetheless see an increase of more than ten percent in demand for those who can fill that position according to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS expects an increase of around 400 jobs by 2016.
While no one can say for certain what tomorrow will bring, it is a fact that only a certain amount of fossil fuel exists in the world. Couple that fact with the ever growing concern about air and water pollution and its effect on the climate, and clean, alternative methods of producing energy, such as nuclear power, look to stay in ever increasing demand. That demand can only produce an even greater demand for highly qualified individuals to fill the crucial positions in the nuclear power industry.
Louise G Author, SEO and Management Consultant wrote this article about jobs. Louise recommends http://www.nuclearcareersonline.com
Article Source: Now More Than Ever, Jop Prospects Are Great in the Nuclear Industry
