How much does a nuclear engineer make?
Answer: A typical nuclear engineer in the United States makes $133,970 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 15,000 people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Nuclear engineer pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $92,960 | $133,970 | $196,290 | about 15,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| California | $172,400 | about 1,000 |
| New Mexico | $164,300 | about 500 |
| Illinois | $134,510 | about 1,000 |
| Washington | $129,480 | about 1,000 |
| South Carolina | $126,570 | about 1,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, pay can rise with experience or a PE license, and it differs by employer type and location; BLS reports differences across industries. Specialties such as research, power, medicine, defense, or space involve different work, and schedules vary by industry, too.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a nuclear engineer do?
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.
What's a typical day like?
Some work at a computer, others at a power plant: they check equipment and safety rules, analyze test results, and write reports or operating instructions. They meet with other engineers to keep designs and operations safe.
How to get this job
Study math and science in high school, then earn a bachelor's in nuclear engineering or a related field; internships help. Entry jobs need no license, but experienced engineers may earn a state PE license after work experience and FE and PE exams.
Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)
Good for people who like figuring things out and building and doing.
Did you know?
Nuclear engineers can help design spacecraft power systems: the U.S. launched its first—and still only—space fission reactor in 1965.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Architecture and Engineering jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/nuclear-engineers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-2161.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.nasa.gov/space-technology-mission-directorate/tdm/space-nuclear-propulsion
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY