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
- $196,290
- Top 10% earn
- -1.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 15,280
- US workers
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 US workers. District of Columbia pays the most ($195,190), since pay varies by state and metro area.
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 2033.
- $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.
Nuclear Engineers (SOC 17-2161) pays a national median of $133,970 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $92,960 at the 10th percentile to $196,290 at the 90th, with a mean of $140,420 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 15,280 Americans work in this occupation across 19 reporting states and 26 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -1.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 800 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 2 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.5 per 100.
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 top metro is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $180,360 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
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.
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).
Among 24 17-series occupations with growth data, Nuclear Engineers sits on the slower-growing side at -1.1% growth and $133,970 median pay.
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)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
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
10th Percentile
$92,960
25th Percentile
$108,690
Median
$133,970
75th Percentile
$163,630
90th Percentile
$196,290
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 |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 17 (architecture and engineering) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Nuclear Engineers make? ▼
What state pays Nuclear Engineers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Nuclear Engineers? ▼
How dangerous is being a 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
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $163,630/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. 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.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
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.