Nuclear Engineers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for nuclear engineers in the U.S. is $133,970 ($64.41 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $133,970
- Mean annual wage
- $140,420
- Median hourly wage
- $64.41
- Employment
- 15,280
15,280 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $92,960 | $44.69 |
| 25th percentile | $108,690 | $52.26 |
| Median (50th) | $133,970 | $64.41 |
| 75th percentile | $163,630 | $78.67 |
| 90th percentile | $196,290 | $94.37 |
Highest-paying states for nuclear engineers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | 230 |
| California | $172,400 | 1,070 |
| New Mexico | $164,300 | 500 |
| Maryland | $157,960 | 180 |
| Massachusetts | $145,760 | 210 |
| New York | $141,200 | 150 |
| Florida | $135,400 | 120 |
| Illinois | $134,510 | 1,040 |
| Idaho | $133,970 | — |
| Pennsylvania | $133,250 | 340 |
Lowest-paying states
- Maine: $123,780 median annual wage
- South Carolina: $126,570 median annual wage
- Texas: $128,340 median annual wage
- Virginia: $128,890 median annual wage
- Washington: $129,480 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Monitor nuclear facility operations to identify any design, construction, or operation practices that violate safety regulations and laws or could jeopardize safe operations.
- Discuss construction project proposals with interested parties, such as vendors, contractors, or nuclear facility review boards.
- Direct operating or maintenance activities of nuclear power plants to ensure efficiency and conformity to safety standards.
- Conduct tests of nuclear fuel behavior and cycles or performance of nuclear machinery and equipment to optimize performance of existing plants.
- Design fuel cycle models or processes to reduce the quantity of radioactive waste generated from nuclear activities.
- Design or oversee construction or operation of nuclear reactors, power plants, or nuclear fuels reprocessing and reclamation systems.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Bachelor's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 3.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 6.5% |
| Associate's degree | 5.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 47.3% |
| Master's degree | 27.9% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 8.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Civil Engineers$100,840
- Industrial Engineers$102,440
- Mechanical Engineers$104,110
- Electrical Engineers$120,630
- Engineers, All Other$122,930
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$99,280
- Architectural and Civil Drafters$66,150
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$130,220
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.