Nuclear Engineers: Career Profile
Conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal.
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What Do Nuclear Engineers Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of nuclear engineers span:
- 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.
What Nuclear Engineers Need to Know
Effective nuclear engineers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Nuclear Engineers Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Atomic Process Engineer
- Core Measures Abstractor
- Engineer
- Engineering Officer
- Instrumentation and Controls Engineer
- Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer
- Nuclear Design Engineer
- Nuclear Electrician
Job Outlook
There are about 78,654 nuclear engineers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Nuclear Engineers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $134,531 |
| Hourly median | $64.68 |
| 10th percentile | $95,414 |
| 25th percentile | $114,973 |
| 75th percentile | $154,089 |
| 90th percentile | $173,647 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Nuclear Engineers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $189,800 |
| California | $167,660 |
| New York | $159,290 |
| Maryland | $150,340 |
| Minnesota | $150,260 |
| Nebraska | $149,280 |
| Alabama | $144,410 |
| Massachusetts | $141,520 |
| New Mexico | $140,070 |
| Michigan | $137,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $134,580 |
| Idaho | $130,210 |
| Illinois | $130,160 |
| Georgia | $129,820 |
| Florida | $129,230 |
| North Carolina | $128,150 |
| Missouri | $126,010 |
| Washington | $125,130 |
| Ohio | $122,820 |
| Maine | $120,700 |
| Virginia | $108,740 |
| South Carolina | $107,880 |
| Texas | $100,000 |
| Wisconsin | $93,080 |
Where Nuclear Engineers Earn the Most
Pay for nuclear engineers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $153,612 | 8.0% | 1.31 |
| Far Western US | $141,648 | 17.5% | 2.67 |
| Plains States | $140,408 | 2.5% | 0.59 |
| Great Lakes | $130,568 | 9.8% | 1.34 |
| Rocky Mountains | $130,210 | 5.6% | 8.89 |
| New England | $126,015 | 3.7% | 4.36 |
| Southwest | $117,673 | 20.5% | 6.84 |
| Southeast | $101,284 | 32.5% | 3.28 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Nuclear Engineers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $189,770 | 300 |
| Knoxville, TN | TN | $174,380 | 200 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $150,950 | 220 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $150,260 | 150 |
| Albuquerque, NM | NM | $142,640 | |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $141,520 | 150 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | TN | $138,050 | 110 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $136,590 | 240 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of nuclear engineers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6,280 | $130,160 |
| Utilities | 3,430 | $134,580 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 960 | $133,460 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 320 | $127,540 |
| Educational Services | 90 | $85,580 |
Nuclear Engineers work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Oracle Java (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: Python (hot technology)
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Salesforce software (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: SAS (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for nuclear engineers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How to Become Nuclear Engineers
Entry-level nuclear engineers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Geothermal Production Managers (Primary-Short)
- Biomass Power Plant Managers (Primary-Long)
- Hydroelectric Production Managers (Supplemental)
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers (Primary-Long)
- Chemical Engineers (Primary-Short)
- Environmental Engineers (Primary-Long)
- Industrial Engineers (Supplemental)
- Fuel Cell Engineers (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Students preparing for nuclear engineers typically earn programs in:
Engineering
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 17-2161.00 (Nuclear Engineers).
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