Working at NRC

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) protects public health and safety and advances the nation’s common defense and security by enabling the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials through efficient and reliable licensing, oversight, and regulation for the benefit of society and the environment. To fulfill its responsibility to protect public health and safety, the NRC performs five principle regulatory functions: developing regulations and guidance for applicants and licensees; licensing or certifying applicants to use nuclear materials, operate nuclear facilities, and decommissioning facilities; inspecting and assessing licensee operations and facilities to ensure that licensees apply with NRC requirements and taking appropriate follow-up or enforcement actions when necessary; evaluating operational experience of license facilities and activities; and conducting research, holding hearings, and obtaining independent reviews to support regulatory decisions.

In conducting all of our work, we at the NRC adhere to the following fundamental organizational values. These values guide every action we take; from a decision on a safety, security or environmental issue; to how we perform an administrative task; to how we interact with our fellow employees and other stakeholders. 

Welcome to the NRC Ethics Web site. Here you can find laws, regulations, and policies governing the conduct of NRC employees as well as financial disclosure forms and articles on ethics issues.

The fundamental ethical principles call upon Federal Employees to place loyalty to the Constitution, our public laws, and ethical standards above private gain. Every NRC employee is responsible for knowing and understanding the Federal and NRC ethics rules.

Because some of these rules are complex and may require some analysis, NRC employees are encouraged to seek the advice of an ethics counselor before taking any action that may be covered by these rules.

Never before has our culture placed so much emphasis on maintaining a balance between the professional and the personal. "Work/Life Balance" is not just a phrase that gets tossed around but is part of who we are. Our programs help employees cope with the dynamic complexities of today's life and offer the opportunity to balance career and family. Programs include:

• FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES AND HOURS
  Striking a balance between work and life obligations requires some of the more difficult decisions in anyone's career. The NRC allows for telecommuting and flexibility in scheduling working hours to better fit the rest of your life.


• FAMILY FRIENDLY LEAVE
  Allows an employee to use up to 13 days of their available sick leave per year to provide health care for a family member or to attend a funeral of a family member.


• ON-SITE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER (Headquarters only)
  Our Child Development center is located at our headquarters complex. Children are accepted from ages 6 weeks to 6 years old. The Center is open from 6:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The program balances play and work in satisfying and productive ways, develops basic readiness skills, and assists the children to challenge and test themselves and experience the joys of learning in a whole-child environment, and it includes all-day Kindergarten.


• ON-SITE FITNESS CENTER (Headquarters only)
  The NRC maintains a state-of-the-art fitness center in the headquarters building complex. The NRC Fitness Center is equipped with bikes, treadmills, ellipticals and other such equipment. The Fitness Center also staffs professional trained exercise physiologists and provides an array of health and fitness programs to meet your individual needs for achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. NRC headquarter employees are eligible to join.


• ON-SITE HEALTH CENTER (Headquarters only)
  The NRC provides an on-site health center that is staffed with nurses and a doctor. Services include various screening programs, such as diabetes, glaucoma/vision testing, and high blood pressure testing. Employees who must have allergy shots can have them administered at the health unit if prescribed by their personal physician.


• ON-SITE EATING ESTABLISHMENTS (Headquarters only) The NuReg Café offers coffee, hot and cold sandwiches, pastries, pizza, wings, burgers, and a host of other items. In addition to the café, Fooda services will be available Tuesday through Thursday between 11:30 am and 1:30 pm in the TWFN Exhibit area.


• TRANSPORTATION FRINGE BENEFIT
  Do you use public transportation to get to work? If so, you may be eligible for a transportation subsidy each month. The headquarters complex is located on the Metro system Red Line.


• ADDITIONAL BENEFITS EMPLOYEES FIND WORKING AT THE NRC

• Opportunities to travel
• Ability to publish
• Public Service
• Providing advice on public safety issues
• Working with world class scientists
• Relocation possibilities
• Training, both on-the-job and formal study
• Portable retirement benefits

NRC employees receive a competitive salary and enjoy a superior benefits package.  Pay rates are competitive with the private sector and generally include annual pay increases, longevity raises, and the possibility of cash awards and bonuses. Salary for new employees depends on the grade and geographic area of the position you are selected for, as well as any prior Federal or private sector experience you may have.

Below are the NRC current salary charts.

• The year 2025 base and locality pay tables for the General Schedule which are used for GG-1 to GG-15 positions in the NRC.
• The year 2025 special pay table for the Engineering and Scientific group which is used for GG-5 to GG-11 positions in the NRC.
• The year 2025 pay table for the Resident Inspector Pay Schedule which is used for GG-11 to GG-14 Resident Inspector positions in the NRC.
• The year 2025 Nuclear Regulator Apprenticeship Network Pay Progression table.
• The year 2025 salary ranges for the Senior Executive Service Schedule positions in the NRC.
• The year 2025 salary ranges for the Senior Level Service positions in the NRC.
• The year 2025 salary ranges for the Administrative Judge positions in the NRC.

How NRC decides what salary to offer

When offering starting salaries to prospective employees, NRC strives to be fair and competitive, and typically considers and uses a range of available pay setting flexibilities. For non-Federal applicants, this may include offering a step and corresponding salary above step 1 (the minimum of any grade) for candidates with superior qualifications, within applicable parameters/limitations; and bringing on certain candidates at pre-determined steps/salaries (typically entry level professional positions) and in some cases offering standard recruitment incentives (signing bonuses). For current or former Federal candidates, NRC may be able to offer higher salaries through use of Maximum Payable Rate rules.

The Office of Personnel Management has issued various fact sheets on Federal pay setting flexibilities, many of which are applicable at NRC. 

If you would like to contact us about Pay, see Contact Us About Employment and select "Pay" from the dropdown list.

BENEFITS

Paid Time Off

• Annual Leave:  Full-time employees earn from 13 to 26 days paid vacation per year depending upon their years of Federal service.
• Sick Leave: Full-time employees earn 13 paid sick days per year, which can be used for personal illness, care of sick family members, adoption, and medical appointments.
• Holidays: Full-time employees enjoy 11 paid holidays per year.
   

Retirement Plans 
The NRC has two primary retirement plans. The first is for NRC employees who were Federal employees before December 31, 1983 and is called the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The CSRS is a defined benefit system with no portability outside the Federal sector and with no benefits for employees who do not stay until retirement.

The second retirement plan, which is available to new employees, is the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS recognizes that not all Federal employees stay long enough to qualify for retirement, so it is a three-tiered design with portable benefits. The basic components of FERS are (1) Social Security; (2) automatic enrollment in the Thrift Savings Plan; and (3) a defined benefit (Basic Annuity) element based on years of service, pay level, and age at retirement. Other applicable retirement plans include CSRS-Offset, CSRS- and FERS- Special (for law enforcement officers), and social security.
 

Thrift Savings Plan
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees. The purpose of the TSP is to provide retirement income. It offers Federal civilian employees the same type of savings and tax benefits that many private corporations offer their employees under ''401(k)'' plans.

The TSP is a defined contribution plan. The retirement income that you receive from your TSP account will depend on how much you (and your agency, if you are a FERS employee) have contributed to your account during your working years and the earnings on these contributions. The contributions that you make to your TSP account are voluntary and are separate from your contributions to your FERS Basic Annuity or CSRS annuity.
 

Insurance Benefits
As a new/newly eligible Federal employee, you may be able to enroll in health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and/or apply for long term care insurance.
 

Employee Assistance Program
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides professional counseling services for NRC employees who are experiencing personal problems that may be affecting their ability to perform on the job. The program offers assessment, referral, short-term counseling, and follow-up for employees dealing with family and marital problems, substance abuse, stress, depression, and many other personal challenges.

All employees of the NRC may use the program at any time. Employees are encouraged to contact an EAP professional whenever they are experiencing personal problems. In many situations, family members of NRC employees are also eligible for the services of the program. Supervisors and managers may also seek the guidance of the EAP to help determine the appropriateness of referring employees who may be experiencing work performance and conduct changes due to personal problems.
 

Recruitment Incentives
For entry level engineers and scientists and certain other "hard-to-fill" positions, the NRC may provide a one-time recruitment incentive. Employees receiving a recruitment incentive are obligated to continue their service with the NRC for a specified period of time.
 

Relocation Expenses for New Employees
For certain "hard-to-fill" positions, some relocation expenses may be authorized. Such determinations are made on a case-by-case basis. Employees receiving relocation expenses are obligated to continue their service with the NRC for a specified period of time.
 

Student Loan Repayment
The NRC may pay a portion of an employee's federally guaranteed student loan. Employees for whom student loan expenses are paid are obligated to continue their service with the NRC for a specified period of time.
 

Union Representation
The National Treasury Employees Union is the exclusive representative for many employees at the NRC. Those employees may contact NTEU for further information on their services.

Knowledge and experience are the keys to carrying out the NRC mission. The NRC offers classroom and on-the-job training; supervisory and management training; and specialized training. This training provides you unprecedented opportunities to gain expert knowledge, develop your career, and stay a step ahead of changing technology and industry. Here are a few examples of the kinds of training and career development programs we offer:

Employee Training: The NRC provides employees with instructor-led, computer-based, and self-study training opportunities in a wide spectrum of technical disciplines in support of the NRC's regulatory programs and in broad areas of interest to NRC employees. Training is offered using traditional classrooms, computer laboratories, full-scope nuclear power plant control room simulators, and web-based training.

Technical Training: Whether in the classroom, simulator or laboratory, on-line, or through on-the-job training and self-study in the field, our training programs provide engineers, scientists and other technical professionals with the latest information and valuable practical experience in evaluating the design and operation of the various types of nuclear facilities in order to develop the competencies required to carry out their assigned regulatory activities. Employees learn how to perform inspection, investigation, licensing, and enforcement activities and gain an understanding of nuclear facilities and engineering principles in order to enhance communication and decision-making abilities.

Group Training: Comprehensive group training programs are offered for executive, supervisory, and management development.

Training Facilities: The NRC maintains and operates a Technical Training Center in Chattanooga, TN and a Professional Development Center at NRC headquarters in Rockville, MD.