I’d like to share my experience getting started as an entry-level Decontamination Technician. So far, I’ve really been enjoying it. I’ve met a lot of great people and learned a ton about the nuclear industry in a short amount of time. I was able to get in touch with Tricia via email, which led to me getting onboarded with Westinghouse and brought on for this outage season. My first assignment was at Brunswick. Funny enough, Michael Cheng and Jonathan Vowles from this group were actually my roommates, so that made for a unique and solid experience. The schedule there was 6 days on, 1 day off, working 12-hour night shifts (6 PM – 6 AM) with a consistent off day each week. I was netting around $2K per week after taxes, which I consider pretty good starting out. Timeline-wise, I reported to Kings Mountain for training on 2/16, arrived at Brunswick on 2/26, and stayed there until 3/25. I’m currently at McGuire Nuclear Station, again working nights on the same 6-on, 1-off schedule, and earning about the same weekly net. For anyone trying to break into the industry, especially if your goal is to become an RP, my personal recommendation is to start as a Decon Tech. It’s one of the best ways to get your foot in the door. From there, you can have someone proctor your exam at a plant while gaining real, hands-on experience. I’ve heard this multiple times, and now I see why the best RPs in the industry often started as Decon Techs. While there’s nothing wrong with coming in directly as an RP, I’ve noticed some lack practical decon experience. Being a strong RP isn’t just about knowing procedures it’s about combining RP knowledge with real decontamination understanding. My biggest piece of advice: network as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to talk to people, ask questions, and build relationships. That alone has opened doors for me and put me in positions I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Hope this helps someone coming in behind me. p.s. @Michael Cheng passed his Fun 1 at Brunswick so let’s all congratulate him and I am taking mine at my next plant so wish me luck.

Just reached out to recruiters today for the 2026 fall outage schedule with Westinghouse. All recruiters just emailed me within 5 minutes today make sure we get the jump on this ASAP for those that didn't make spring!!!!

https://www.nukeworker.com/

Just noticed the fall outages are now open to apply on their website: https://www.dzrptech.com Login upload resume to your account then click on "apply for positions". They also have NISP procedures and RP study material available. 👍

https://careers.westinghousenuclear.com/job/Jensen-Beach-Health-Physics-ST-LUCIE-FL-34957/1120100300/ No mention of new techs but wanted to share for the active techs here.