Nuclear engineers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $92,960 | $44.69 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $133,970 | $64.41 |
| Mean (average) | $140,420 | $67.51 |
| 90th percentile | $196,290 | $94.37 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Nuclear engineers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 21 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $132,570 | $97,950 | $161,290 | 290 | 1.41 |
| California | $172,400 | $109,990 | $207,740 | 1,070 | 0.6 |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | $128,960 | $207,480 | 230 | 3.32 |
| Florida | $135,400 | $90,000 | $188,720 | 120 | 0.12 |
| Georgia | $132,440 | $81,800 | $173,100 | 200 | 0.41 |
| Idaho | $133,970 | $104,070 | $176,840 | ||
| Illinois | $134,510 | $102,890 | $171,060 | 1,040 | 1.74 |
| Maine | $123,780 | $78,440 | $147,200 | 420 | 6.63 |
| Maryland | $157,960 | $103,990 | $207,480 | 180 | 0.67 |
| Massachusetts | $145,760 | $67,750 | $174,710 | 210 | 0.6 |
| Michigan | $129,940 | $80,570 | $159,030 | 330 | 0.76 |
| New Mexico | $164,300 | $126,780 | $242,730 | 500 | 5.88 |
| New York | $141,200 | $114,610 | $204,940 | 150 | 0.16 |
| North Carolina | $131,850 | $96,300 | $166,200 | 460 | 0.94 |
| Ohio | Data unavailable | 190 | 0.36 | ||
| Pennsylvania | $133,250 | $83,250 | $167,110 | 340 | 0.58 |
| South Carolina | $126,570 | $83,970 | $159,740 | 1,440 | 6.35 |
| Tennessee | Data unavailable | 720 | 2.24 | ||
| Texas | $128,340 | $83,250 | $170,600 | 190 | 0.14 |
| Virginia | $128,890 | $81,480 | $192,350 | ||
| Washington | $129,480 | $83,100 | $200,930 | 1,380 | 3.97 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for nuclear engineers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 5.7%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for nuclear engineers
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Nuclear Engineering CIP 14.2301
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Design or develop nuclear equipment, such as reactor cores, radiation shielding, or associated instrumentation or control mechanisms.
- Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
- Initiate corrective actions or order plant shutdowns in emergency situations.
- Examine accidents to obtain data for use in design of preventive measures.
- Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
- Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
- Direct environmental compliance activities associated with nuclear plant operations or maintenance.
- Write operational instructions to be used in nuclear plant operation or nuclear fuel or waste handling and disposal.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Python (in demand)
- ANSYS simulation software (in demand)
- C++ (hot technology)
- Linux (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle Java (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- SAS (hot technology)
- Salesforce software (hot technology)
- The MathWorks MATLAB (hot technology)
- UNIX (hot technology)
- ANISN dose assessment computer code
Transferable skills for career changers: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Analysis, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Coordination.
Common job titles: Engineer, Nuclear Design Engineer, Nuclear Engineer, Nuclear Licensing Engineer, Nuclear Process Engineer, Nuclear Reactor Engineer, Nuclear Safety Engineer, Nuclear Steam Supply System Engineer (NSSS Engineer), Radiological Engineer, Reactor Engineer.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do nuclear engineers make?
The national median annual wage for nuclear engineers was $133,970 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $92,960 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $196,290. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do nuclear engineers need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is nuclear engineers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of nuclear engineers to change +0.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay nuclear engineers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($195,190), California ($172,400), New Mexico ($164,300). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.