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General Nuclear Engineering

Types of Degrees General Nuclear Engineering Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Nuclear Engineering have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	431
Master’s Degree	349
Doctor’s Degree	169

What General Nuclear Engineering Majors Need to Know

Coursework for General Nuclear Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Nuclear Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in General Nuclear Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a General Nuclear Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to General Nuclear Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Nuclear Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Nuclear Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Oracle Java	Object or component oriented development software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
C++	Object or component oriented development software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Nuclear Engineering graduates include:

• Sanitary Engineering Teacher
• Design Teacher
• Aeronautics Teacher
• Technical Professor
• Engineering Instructor
• Marine Engineering Professor
• Electrical Engineering Lecturer
• Adjunct Engineering Instructor
• Aeronautical Engineering Professor
• Metallurgical Engineering Teacher
• Geological Engineering Teacher
• Petroleum Engineering Professor
• Highway Engineering Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Aeronautical Engineering Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Nuclear Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	39.2%
Bachelor’s degree	19.4%
Post-master’s certificate	12.6%
Master’s degree	12.5%
Post-doctoral training	11.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.3%
First professional degree	1.2%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Nuclear Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 76.5% of General Nuclear Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	225	23.5%
Men	734	76.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Nuclear Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	561	58.5%
Asian	54	5.6%
Hispanic or Latino	99	10.3%
Black or African American	21	2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	53	5.5%
Race Unknown	29	3.0%
International Students	139	14.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Nuclear Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Nuclear Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$74,651
4 years	$86,581
5 years	$99,579

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $99,579 — roughly 33% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online General Nuclear Engineering Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for General Nuclear Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	5
Doctoral (Research)	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in General Nuclear Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Nuclear Engineering graduates earn a median of $86,581 four years after completion — roughly 128% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Nuclear Engineering	14.23
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General	14.0201
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other	14.0299
Agricultural Engineering	14.0301
Architectural Engineering	14.0401
Astronautical Engineering	14.0202
Biochemical Engineering	14.4301
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering	14.0501
Biological/Biosystems Engineering	14.4501
Ceramic Sciences and Engineering	14.0601
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering	14.0702

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.