SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-2161.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $92,960 | $7,747 | $1,788 | $44.69 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $108,690 | $9,058 | $2,090 | $52.26 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $133,970 | $11,164 | $2,576 | $64.41 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $163,630 | $13,636 | $3,147 | $78.67 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $196,290 | $16,358 | $3,775 | $94.37 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Nuclear Engineers is $133,970, which is 163% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 4 by median pay. With 15,280 jobs, it makes up about 1.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Nuclear Engineers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($195,190), California ($172,400) and New Mexico ($164,300). The lowest was in Maine ($123,780), South Carolina ($126,570) and Texas ($128,340). The most jobs were in South Carolina (1,440), Washington (1,380) and California (1,070). The occupation is most concentrated in Maine, where its share of all jobs is 6.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 230 | $195,190 | $180,480 | $93.84 |
| California | 1,070 | $172,400 | $160,980 | $82.88 |
| New Mexico | 500 | $164,300 | $180,290 | $78.99 |
| Maryland | 180 | $157,960 | $155,410 | $75.94 |
| Massachusetts | 210 | $145,760 | $134,020 | $70.08 |
| New York | 150 | $141,200 | $150,090 | $67.88 |
| Florida | 120 | $135,400 | $137,910 | $65.10 |
| Illinois | 1,040 | $134,510 | $139,280 | $64.67 |
| Idaho | not published | $133,970 | $133,750 | $64.41 |
| Pennsylvania | 340 | $133,250 | $134,740 | $64.06 |
| Alabama | 290 | $132,570 | $134,480 | $63.74 |
| Georgia | 200 | $132,440 | $133,010 | $63.68 |
| North Carolina | 460 | $131,850 | $136,120 | $63.39 |
| Michigan | 330 | $129,940 | $128,070 | $62.47 |
| Washington | 1,380 | $129,480 | $136,540 | $62.25 |
| Virginia | not published | $128,890 | $132,710 | $61.97 |
| Texas | 190 | $128,340 | $129,220 | $61.70 |
| South Carolina | 1,440 | $126,570 | $125,440 | $60.85 |
| Maine | 420 | $123,780 | $123,290 | $59.51 |
| Ohio | 190 | not published | not published | not published |
| Tennessee | 720 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Computer Hardware Engineers$161,740 a year
- Petroleum Engineers$144,910 a year
- Aerospace Engineers$134,960 a year
- Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$130,220 a year
- Chemical Engineers$125,040 a year
- Engineers, All Other$122,930 a year
Common questions
How much do Nuclear Engineers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $133,970 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $92,960 and the highest-paid 10% more than $196,290.
How many people work as Nuclear Engineers?
About 15,280 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.