How much does a Nuclear Engineer make?
A Nuclear Engineer earns a median annual salary of $133,970 in the United States, which works out to roughly $64.41 per hour for full-time work. Most Nuclear Engineers earn between $92,960 at the entry level and $196,290 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $108,690 and $163,630 a year.
That is $72,580 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Nuclear Engineer salary range by percentile
Half of all Nuclear Engineers earn between $108,690 and $163,630 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $92,960 | $44.69 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $108,690 | $52.25 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $133,970 | $64.41 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $163,630 | $78.67 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $196,290 | $94.37 |
Highest-paying states for Nuclear Engineer
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. District of Columbia leads the country for Nuclear Engineer pay at $195,190 a year, followed by California ($172,400) and New Mexico ($164,300). At the other end, Maine posts the lowest median at $123,780 — a gap of $71,410 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $195,190 | $93.84 | +46% |
| 2 | California | $172,400 | $82.88 | +29% |
| 3 | New Mexico | $164,300 | $78.99 | +23% |
| 4 | Maryland | $157,960 | $75.94 | +18% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $145,760 | $70.08 | +9% |
Nuclear Engineer salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 19 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 15,000 people work as Nuclear Engineers in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $140,420 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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