Nuclear Engineers pay in the United States

In the U.S., the median pay for nuclear engineers is $64.41 an hour ($133,970 a year). About 15,280 people work in this job there.

$64.41Median hourly pay

$108,690–$163,630Middle half of workers, yearly

15,280People in this job in the U.S.

Pay range for nuclear engineers in the U.S.

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$44.69	$92,960
25% of workers	$52.26	$108,690
Half of workers (median)	$64.41	$133,970
75% of workers	$78.67	$163,630
90% of workers	$94.37	$196,290

Best-paying states for nuclear engineers

State	Median yearly pay	People in this job
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	0
Pennsylvania	$133,250	340

Pay by state

California · $172,400
Illinois · $134,510
New Mexico · $164,300
South Carolina · $126,570
Washington · $129,480

Education, experience and outlook for nuclear engineers

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
Job outlook: +0.4% over ten years, little or no change · about 800 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in the U.S.

Job	Median yearly pay
Civil Engineers	$100,840
Industrial Engineers	$102,440
Mechanical Engineers	$104,110
Electrical Engineers	$120,630
Engineers, All Other	$122,930
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer	$130,220
Computer Hardware Engineers	$161,740
Aerospace Engineers	$134,960

Other job titles for this job

Atomic Process EngineerCore Measures AbstractorEngineering OfficerInstrumentation and Controls EngineerNuclear Criticality Safety EngineerNuclear Design EngineerNuclear ElectricianNuclear EngineerNuclear Equipment Design EngineerNuclear Equipment Research EngineerNuclear Equipment Test EngineerNuclear Fuels Reclamation Engineer

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.