10/8/25: We experienced a technical issue that prevented the information on this page from being updated. This is now resolved, and the 2025 application details are available below. The deadline to apply has been extended one week to Sunday, October 19th.
Each fall, the MIT Nuclear Reactor Lab hires about five freshmen or sophomore students at local colleges of any major (you don’t have to study nuclear science) who have the ambition and drive to get trained and licensed to operate the MITR-II.
The first year or so in the training program is dedicated to getting trainees ready to pass the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing exam, which is held onsite. Passing the exam is required to operate the MITR-II, and . We teach students This is a paid position, not a UROP, and starts at $16 per hour.
2025 at-a-glance deadlines and info:
- The deadline to apply for 2025 is 11:59pm on Sunday, October 19th
- Decisions will be made by the November holiday break (reviewed on a rolling basis)
- This is a paid position (not a UROP) starting at $17/hour upon hire
- You’ll be in our training program working about 10 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters and 40 hours per week summer 2026, earning $17 an hour until the NRC licensing exam in January 2027
- You’ll be earning $19.50/hour after getting licensed and will be expected to work about 16 hours each week (2 shifts)
- Multiple pay incentive opportunities
- Open to freshmen and sophomores at MIT and local colleges (not a remote position)
- You need to be available to work ~10 hours/week fall 2024 and spring 2025; 40 hours/week summer 2025
- Apply by uploading your cover letter, resume, and references to this Dropbox request (more application details below)
Position information:
Being a Student Operator at the NRL is a unique opportunity where you’ll play a crucial role in operating and maintaining our 6 MW research reactor on campus. As a student reactor operator, you’ll receive training to know everything you need to safely operate the MITR-II and work with intricate systems that have a mix of analog and digital technology. Not only will you have the unique experience of operating a nuclear reactor, but you’ll also have an intellectually stimulating, well-paying job on campus.
Student operators earn $17/hour (students get paid while training for their license) and enjoy a stable income until graduation. We’re particularly interested in local college freshmen and sophomores who can commit to this role for multiple years and is a job you can keep after graduating*. If you choose to advance, you can pursue a Senior Reactor Operator’s license, becoming a Shift Supervisor with a pay raise to $19.50/hour. Other pay raise incentives are available.
You don’t need a background in nuclear science or engineering to join us. We’ll provide comprehensive training covering mechanical and instrumentation systems, nuclear science, operational procedures, radiation safety, and health physics.
Once hired, student operators will have a year and a half of training, which involves part-time hours (~10 hours/week) during school semesters and full-time work (40 hours/week) during the first summer. Subsequent IAPs and summers are optional to work up to 40 hours/week with pay incentives available.
After getting licensed, you’ll typically support two shifts a week (~16 hours/week) with flexible scheduling around your classes. Whether it’s during Nights (12am-8am), Days (8am-4pm), or Swings (4pm-12am), we’ll work together to accommodate your availability with your academic schedule.
*Pending any potential graduate school plans, as there may be limitations on the number of hours worked while a graduate student in certain programs.
Apply to Be a Student Operator
- Send us your resume, cover letter, and three (3) references with information in the bullet below through this Dropbox link by 11:59pm on Sunday, October 19th, 2025:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/1iirMcuaCsaH12Hc4KsO- References: include their names, phone numbers, email addresses, and relationship to you (e.g. high school advisor, previous manager/supervisor, coach). Family members cannot be used as references unless you directly reported to them at a previous job or internship.
- Cover letters can be addressed to “NRL Hiring Committee.” Let us know your interest in the position: why you want to be a student reactor operator and what makes you feel it’d be a good fit
- Make sure your name is on all documents or in the file name if uploading them separately
- Decisions will be made by November 26th, 2025
- You will hear from us even if you are not selected for an interview.
- If chosen for an interview you will also have a tour of the facility if you haven’t had one yet.
- References are contacted after interviews, please let your references know you’re listing them in advance of applying and that their contact information is accurate.
- Our Training Supervisor will guide you through onboarding and set a training start date.
We can arrange a Zoom call with a current student operator to share their experiences with you, email reactor-job@mit.edu to request to set one up. Email us with any questions you have about the position or application process, but please use the Dropbox link to apply.
About
The MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory employs and trains a select number of MIT and other local college students each year to become fully qualified NRC licensed reactor operators. The training process involves gaining a broad and deep knowledge of the reactor systems and how they affect each other, and operation of the reactor. Trainees spend several months reading about the reactor systems and drawing components to help them understand how everything is connected. When the trainee has gained sufficient knowledge of the reactor they start to operate the reactor under direct supervision from the training supervisor. Trainees learn to operate the reactor by performing startups, shutdowns, power manipulations and control blade shuffles. Much like driving a vehicle, learning how quickly the reactor responds to control blade movement and temperature change can only gained by practice.
Once the trainee has demonstrated the ability to operate the reactor safely, including responding appropriately to abnormal conditions, the trainee applies for their license. The license exam is conducted over two days by an NRC examiner and includes a multiple-choice written exam, an interview, a tour of the reactor and a reactor startup. If the trainee passes the exam then they become a licensed Reactor Operator (RO). This license only allows the holder to operate the MIT reactor. If the operator moves to a different reactor, they must become relicensed for that specific plant. For that reason, we do not offer any operator training for those who are not employed at our facility.
Top left: Identifying core components; Top right: Practicing startup-up checks; Bottom left: Practicing a reactor startup; Bottom right: Tracing the cooling systems in the equipment room.
A reactor operator may choose to upgrade their license to a Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) license. This requires additional experience operating the reactor, training, and another exam. An SRO license allows an operator to act as the shift supervisor which has the added responsibility that they oversee operations on a given shift and make sure that any work is completed sufficiently and safely.