What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Reactor Operator?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Reactor Operator jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD (182.0% above average), followed by Beverly, MA and Glenwood Springs, CO. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Pennington County, SD $129,382 $10,781 $2,488 $62.20 Beverly, MA $126,994 $10,582 $2,442 $61.05 Glenwood Springs, CO $124,799 $10,399 $2,399 $60.00 Delta, PA $121,295 $10,107 $2,332 $58.31 Spearfish, SD $116,192 $9,682 $2,234 $55.86 Elizabethtown, PA $112,736 $9,394 $2,168 $54.20 North Little Rock, AR $111,092 $9,257 $2,136 $53.41 Douglas County, NE $107,974 $8,997 $2,076 $51.91 Newburgh, IN $105,326 $8,777 $2,025 $50.64 Oxford, AL $104,085 $8,673 $2,001 $50.04

Reactor Operator

Reactor Operator Salary

Q: How much does a Reactor Operator make?

The average annual pay for a reactor operator in the United States is $45,880 a year — that works out to approximately $22.06 an hour. The middle 80% of Reactor Operators earn between $38,000 (10th percentile) and $59,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Reactor Operator Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Reactor Operator in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Power Generation Engineer at $79,296 (172.8%) above Reactor Operator. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Power Generation Engineer $125,176 $10,431 $2,407 $60.18 Taskforce $92,190 $7,682 $1,772 $44.32 Raw Materials Coordinator $49,227 $4,102 $946 $23.67 Industrial Mechanical Technician $47,598 $3,966 $915 $22.88 Origin Materials $46,181 $3,848 $888 $22.20

$11K

$43.5K

$61.5K

$45,880

/year

$22.06

/hour

Reactor Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$45,880

Columbus

Ohio

$44,315

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How much does a Reactor Operator make?

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average annual pay for a Reactor Operator in the United States is $45,880 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $22.06 an hour. This is the equivalent of $882/week or $3,823/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $61,500 and as low as $11,000, the majority of Reactor Operator salaries currently range between $38,000 (25th percentile) to $47,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $59,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Reactor Operator varies little (about 9500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

A Reactor Operator in your area makes on average $44,315 per year, or $1,565 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $45,880. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Reactor Operator salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Reactor Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Reactor Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Reactor Operator Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Reactor Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Beverly, MA, and Glenwood Springs, CO, close behind in the second and third positions. Glenwood Springs, CO, beats the national average by $78,919 (172.0%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $83,502 (182.0%) above the $45,880 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Reactor Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 21% between Pennington County, SD, and Oxford, AL, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Reactor Operator role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Pennington County, SD	$129,382	$10,781	$2,488	$62.20
Beverly, MA	$126,994	$10,582	$2,442	$61.05
Glenwood Springs, CO	$124,799	$10,399	$2,399	$60.00
Delta, PA	$121,295	$10,107	$2,332	$58.31
Spearfish, SD	$116,192	$9,682	$2,234	$55.86
Elizabethtown, PA	$112,736	$9,394	$2,168	$54.20
North Little Rock, AR	$111,092	$9,257	$2,136	$53.41
Douglas County, NE	$107,974	$8,997	$2,076	$51.91
Newburgh, IN	$105,326	$8,777	$2,025	$50.64
Oxford, AL	$104,085	$8,673	$2,001	$50.04

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Reactor Operator Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Reactor Operator category.

For example Power Generation Engineer jobs pay as much as $79,296 (172.8%) more than the average Reactor Operator salary of $45,880. If you're qualified, finding work as a Power Generation Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Reactor Operator position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Power Generation Engineer	$125,176	$10,431	$2,407	$60.18
Taskforce	$92,190	$7,682	$1,772	$44.32
Raw Materials Coordinator	$49,227	$4,102	$946	$23.67
Industrial Mechanical Technician	$47,598	$3,966	$915	$22.88
Origin Materials	$46,181	$3,848	$888	$22.20

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Reactor Operator salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $45,880 per year or $22.06 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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