17 Series · SOC 17-2161
Nuclear Engineers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $133,970
- Median / year
- +5.1%
- 2024→2025
- $196,290
- Top 10% earn
- -1.1%
- Growth '24–'34
- 15,280
- Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Engineers earn a median of $133,970 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $133,970, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $92,960 (10th percentile) to $196,290 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 15,280 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is District of Columbia ($195,190).
The pay verdict
Nuclear Engineers earn a median of $133,970, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 93% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Architecture and Engineering, it ranks #4 of 36 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 1.1% by 2034.
- $133,970
- Median annual wage
- Top 7%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #4 of 36
- in Architecture and Engineering
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $195,190. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Nuclear Engineers moved from $113,460 in May 2019 to $133,970 in May 2025 (+18.1%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Nuclear Engineers sits -6.4 pp behind that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Nuclear Engineers (SOC 17-2161) has a national median of $133,970 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $92,960 to $196,290, and the published mean is $140,420. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 15,280 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 19 state or territory areas and 26 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $127,520 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $133,970 in May 2025, a rise of $6,450 (+5.1%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -1.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 800 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Architecture and Engineering Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $195,190, which is +46% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $180,360. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$133,970
per year
Median Hourly
$64.41/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$140,420
average
Employment
15,280
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Nuclear Engineers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$133,970 Top 7% higher than 93% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 (this entry) | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$133,970 · 93rd percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 17-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Nuclear Engineers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Civil Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $100840
- Industrial Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11%, Median annual wage $102440
- Mechanical Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 9.1%, Median annual wage $104110
- Electrical Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.2%, Median annual wage $120630
- Engineers, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.1%, Median annual wage $122930
- Architects, Except L…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $99280
- Architectural and Ci…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.1%, Median annual wage $66150
- Electronics Engineer…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.2%, Median annual wage $130220
- Electrical and Elect…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 0.6%, Median annual wage $78190
- Computer Hardware En…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.3%, Median annual wage $161740
- Industrial Engineeri…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $66120
- Civil Engineering Te…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.1%, Median annual wage $64950
- Aerospace Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.1%, Median annual wage $134960
- Engineering Technolo…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.5%, Median annual wage $78350
- Surveying and Mappin…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $54240
- Surveyors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $75440
- Mechanical Drafters: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6.5%, Median annual wage $71550
- Environmental Engine…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.9%, Median annual wage $107110
- Bioengineers and Bio…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.2%, Median annual wage $109370
- Materials Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5.7%, Median annual wage $112860
- Health and Safety En…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $115160
- Chemical Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 2.6%, Median annual wage $125040
- Landscape Architects: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.5%, Median annual wage $79870
- Nuclear Engineers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.1%, Median annual wage $133970
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-1.1%
Declining
Annual Openings
800
per year (projected)
Employment Change
-200
15,400 (2024) → 15,300 (2034)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Architecture and Engineering Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
2/100K
Injury Rate
0.5/100
Danger Index
3/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Nuclear Engineers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key 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.
- ▸ Prepare technical reports of findings or recommendations, based on synthesized analyses of test results.
- ▸ Prepare environmental impact statements, reports, or presentations for regulatory or other agencies.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Nuclear Engineers pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $102,950 |
| 2016 | $102,220 |
| 2017 | $105,810 |
| 2018 | $107,600 |
| 2019 | $113,460 |
| 2020 | $116,140 |
| 2021 | $120,380 |
| 2022 | $122,480 |
| 2023 | $125,460 |
| 2024 | $127,520 |
| 2025 | $133,970 |
2015 median
$102,950
2025 median
$133,970
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$20,510 (+18.1%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+2.8%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $102,950 | First banked release | 16,880 |
| May 2016 | $102,220 | -0.7% | 17,680 |
| May 2017 | $105,810 | +3.5% | 16,700 |
| May 2018 | $107,600 | +1.7% | 15,980 |
| May 2019 | $113,460 | Classification break | 15,850 |
| May 2020 | $116,140 | +2.4% | 15,700 |
| May 2021 | $120,380 | +3.7% | 12,670 |
| May 2022 | $122,480 | +1.7% | 12,250 |
| May 2023 | $125,460 | +2.4% | 12,710 |
| May 2024 | $127,520 | +1.6% | 14,740 |
| May 2025 | $133,970 | +5.1% | 15,280 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $102,950 in May 2015 to $133,970 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +2.8% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 15,850 in May 2019 to 15,280 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 19 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $195,190 | +46% above national |
| 2 | California | $172,400 | +29% above national |
| 3 | New Mexico | $164,300 | +23% above national |
| 4 | Maryland | $157,960 | +18% above national |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $145,760 | +9% above national |
| 6 | New York | $141,200 | +5% above national |
| 7 | Florida | $135,400 | +1% above national |
| 8 | Illinois | $134,510 | same as national |
| 9 | Idaho | $133,970 | same as national |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $133,250 | 1% below national |
| 11 | Alabama | $132,570 | 1% below national |
| 12 | Georgia | $132,440 | 1% below national |
| 13 | North Carolina | $131,850 | 2% below national |
| 14 | Michigan | $129,940 | 3% below national |
| 15 | Washington | $129,480 | 3% below national |
| 16 | Virginia | $128,890 | 4% below national |
| 17 | Texas | $128,340 | 4% below national |
| 18 | South Carolina | $126,570 | 6% below national |
| 19 | Maine | $123,780 | 8% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 26 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $180,360 | +35% above national |
| 2 | Knoxville, TN | $179,660 | +34% above national |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $161,050 | +20% above national |
| 4 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $156,460 | +17% above national |
| 5 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $146,850 | +10% above national |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $144,830 | +8% above national |
| 7 | Syracuse, NY | $141,200 | +5% above national |
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $140,590 | +5% above national |
| 9 | Richmond, VA | $140,460 | +5% above national |
| 10 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $138,220 | +3% above national |
| 11 | Monroe, MI | $136,260 | +2% above national |
| 12 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $134,510 | same as national |
| 13 | Idaho Falls, ID | $133,970 | same as national |
| 14 | Pittsburgh, PA | $133,250 | 1% below national |
| 15 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $132,440 | 1% below national |
| 16 | Cleveland, OH | $132,340 | 1% below national |
| 17 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $131,850 | 2% below national |
| 18 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $130,300 | 3% below national |
| 19 | Wilmington, NC | $129,710 | 3% below national |
| 20 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $129,590 | 3% below national |
| 21 | Columbia, SC | $128,340 | 4% below national |
| 22 | Huntsville, AL | $125,870 | 6% below national |
| 23 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $124,690 | 7% below national |
| 24 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $120,430 | 10% below national |
| 25 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $119,580 | 11% below national |
| 26 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $110,510 | 18% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 17 (Architecture and Engineering Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
SOC 17-3021
Aerospace Engineers
SOC 17-2011
Agricultural Engineers
SOC 17-2021
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
SOC 17-1011
Architectural and Civil Drafters
SOC 17-3011
Showing 5 of 35 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Architecture and Engineering Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($133,970 here) and reported employment (15,280 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Nuclear Engineers make? ▼
Where does Nuclear Engineers pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Nuclear Engineers the most? ▼
What education do Nuclear Engineers need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Nuclear Engineers? ▼
Is Nuclear Engineers a good career? ▼
How does Nuclear Engineers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Nuclear Engineers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Nuclear Engineers pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $163,630/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $195,190/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.