19 Series · SOC 19-4051

Nuclear Technicians Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$110,240
Median / year
$133,600
Top 10% earn
-7.7%
Growth '23–'33
6,470
US workers

Nuclear Technicians earn a median of $110,240 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $110,240, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $73,150 (10th percentile) to $133,600 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 6,470 US workers. Florida pays the most ($135,550), since pay varies by state and metro area.

19 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Nuclear Technicians earn a median of $110,240, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 89% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks #10 of 48 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 7.7% by 2033.

$110,240
Median annual wage
Top 11%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#10 of 48
in Life, Physical, and Social Science
1.8×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Florida at $135,550. Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.

Nuclear Technicians (SOC 19-4051) pays a national median of $110,240 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $73,150 at the 10th percentile to $133,600 at the 90th, with a mean of $108,940 indicating a compressed distribution clustered near the median. An estimated 6,470 Americans work in this occupation across 14 reporting states and 9 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a -7.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Associate's degree and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. 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 1.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.7 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Florida pays the highest state median at $135,550, which is +23% above the national figure. The top metro is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $171,470 - 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.

BLS OEWS May 2025 6,470 jobs Median $110,240/yr

Median Salary

$110,240

per year

Median Hourly

$53.00/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$108,940

average

Employment

6,470

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Nuclear Technicians pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$110,240 Top 11% higher than 89% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

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 19-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Nuclear Technicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 25 19-series occupations with growth data, Nuclear Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at -7.7% growth and $110,240 median pay.

Among 25 19-series occupations with growth data, Nuclear Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at -7.7% growth and $110,240 median pay. Scatter plot of 25 data points. $0$50000$100000$150000$200000 -10%-5%0%5%10%15% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage
Among 25 19-series occupations with growth data, Nuclear Technicians sits on the slower-growing side at -7.7% growth and $110,240 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

-7.7%

Declining

Annual Openings

700

per year (projected)

Typical Education

Associate's degree

On-the-Job Training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
A

Very Safe

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

1.5/100K

Injury Rate

0.7/100

Danger Index

3.6/100

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 Technicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Active Listening 3.9
Critical Thinking 3.9
Monitoring 3.9
Reading Comprehension 3.8
Operations Monitoring 3.8
Speaking 3.5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.4
Instructing 3.3
Writing 3.1
Mathematics 3.1

Knowledge Areas

Mathematics 3.3
Physics 3.3
Public Safety and Security 3.1
Chemistry 3.1
English Language 3.0
Computers and Electronics 3.0
Education and Training 2.8
Mechanical 2.7
Customer and Personal Service 2.5
Law and Government 2.5

Key Tasks

  • ▸ Follow nuclear equipment operational policies and procedures that ensure environmental safety.
  • ▸ Conduct surveillance testing to determine safety of nuclear equipment.
  • ▸ Monitor nuclear reactor equipment performance to identify operational inefficiencies, hazards, or needs for maintenance or repair.
  • ▸ Test plant equipment to ensure it is operating properly.
  • ▸ Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas.
  • ▸ Apply safety tags to equipment needing maintenance.
  • ▸ Follow policies and procedures for radiation workers to ensure personnel safety.
  • ▸ Monitor instruments, gauges, or recording devices under direction of nuclear experimenters.
  • ▸ Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.
  • ▸ Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

$73,150$99,110$110,240$123,990$133,600
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

$35.17$47.65$53.00$59.61$64.23
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$73,150

25th Percentile

$99,110

Median

$110,240

75th Percentile

$123,990

90th Percentile

$133,600

Salary by State

Highest Paying States

1. Florida $135,550 2. New York $129,780 3. Pennsylvania $124,070 4. Texas $124,060 5. Massachusetts $113,390

Lowest Paying States

10. Tennessee $91,980 11. Virginia $98,930 12. California $99,270 13. Missouri $104,580 14. Washington $108,200
View all 14 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Florida $135,550 +23% above national
2 New York $129,780 +18% above national
3 Pennsylvania $124,070 +13% above national
4 Texas $124,060 +13% above national
5 Massachusetts $113,390 +3% above national
6 North Carolina $110,430 same as national
7 Illinois $110,390 same as national
8 Alabama $110,240 same as national
9 South Carolina $108,490 2% below national
10 Washington $108,200 2% below national
11 Missouri $104,580 5% below national
12 California $99,270 10% below national
13 Virginia $98,930 10% below national
14 Tennessee $91,980 17% below national

Salary by Metro Area

Highest Paying Metros

1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $171,470 2. Birmingham, AL $126,930 3. Richmond, VA $122,210 4. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $114,910 5. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $113,390

Lowest Paying Metros

5. Knoxville, TN $78,850 6. Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $96,730 7. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $99,990 8. Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $108,210 9. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $113,390
View all 9 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $171,470 +56% above national
2 Birmingham, AL $126,930 +15% above national
3 Richmond, VA $122,210 +11% above national
4 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $114,910 +4% above national
5 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $113,390 +3% above national
6 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC $108,210 2% below national
7 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $99,990 9% below national
8 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $96,730 12% below national
9 Knoxville, TN $78,850 28% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 19 (life physical and social science) with comparable pay and career paths.

Agricultural Technicians

SOC 19-4012

Animal Scientists

SOC 19-1011

Anthropologists and Archeologists

SOC 19-3091

Astronomers

SOC 19-2011

Atmospheric and Space Scientists

SOC 19-2021
Compare Nuclear Technicians side-by-side with another occupation →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Nuclear Technicians make? ▼
The median annual salary for Nuclear Technicians is $110,240 ($53.00/hour). The salary range spans from $73,150 at the 10th percentile to $133,600 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays Nuclear Technicians the most? ▼
Florida pays the highest median salary for Nuclear Technicians at $135,550/year, which is +23% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a Nuclear Technicians? ▼
The typical entry-level education for Nuclear Technicians is Associate's degree. On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
How dangerous is being a Nuclear Technicians? ▼
Nuclear Technicians has a safety grade of A (Very Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 1.5 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 0.7 per 100 workers.
Is Nuclear Technicians a good career? ▼
Employment for Nuclear Technicians is projected to decline 7.7% from 2024 to 2034, which is declining. About 700 openings are projected each year.
How does Nuclear Technicians pay vary by state? ▼
Nuclear Technicians salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Florida at $135,550/year, while Washington pays the least at $108,200/year. BLS data covers 14 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Nuclear Technicians? ▼
The highest-paying metro area for Nuclear Technicians is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $171,470/year. BLS reports wage data for 9 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Nuclear Technicians pay figures in a real decision

  • For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $123,990/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: Florida leads at $135,550/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.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

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.