Nuclear Engineer Salary (2026)
Typical pay is $133,970 a year, with most nuclear engineers earning between $108,690 and $163,630. Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Salary Calculator›Nuclear Engineer
Nationally, the typical nuclear engineer earns $133,970 a year. Early-career pay starts around $108,690, experienced nuclear engineers earn $163,630 or more, and the top 10% make over $196,290. About 15,280 people work in this occupation in the US. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($195,190) and, among metro areas, in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($180,360).
Nuclear Engineer salary in the United States
Annual pay, BLS survey of May 2025
What nuclear engineers do
Nuclear engineers work on nuclear power plants, reactor design, fuel, radiation safety and medical or defense uses of nuclear technology. Utilities, national labs, the Navy and reactor developers are the main employers.
Nuclear Engineer salary by state
Typical annual pay for nuclear engineers in every state where BLS publishes figures, highest first.
| State | Typical | Early career | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | $164,050 | $204,940 |
| California | $172,400 | $135,400 | $176,390 |
| New Mexico | $164,300 | $134,370 | $199,020 |
| Maryland | $157,960 | $127,870 | $190,470 |
| Massachusetts | $145,760 | $103,790 | $161,620 |
| New York | $141,200 | $137,260 | $162,690 |
| Florida | $135,400 | $110,810 | $160,990 |
| Illinois | $134,510 | $112,260 | $162,440 |
| Idaho | $133,970 | $107,030 | $136,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $133,250 | $103,680 | $162,100 |
| Alabama | $132,570 | $125,870 | $154,920 |
| Georgia | $132,440 | $104,870 | $158,130 |
| North Carolina | $131,850 | $123,720 | $161,310 |
| Michigan | $129,940 | $103,680 | $156,590 |
| Washington | $129,480 | $109,550 | $153,960 |
| Virginia | $128,890 | $98,920 | $164,010 |
| Texas | $128,340 | $101,980 | $155,830 |
| South Carolina | $126,570 | $104,730 | $138,250 |
| Maine | $123,780 | $110,410 | $139,240 |
Highest-paying metro areas
| Metro area | Typical |
|---|---|
| 1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $180,360 |
| 2. Knoxville, TN | $179,660 |
| 3. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $161,050 |
| 4. Kennewick-Richland, WA | $156,460 |
| 5. Chattanooga, TN-GA | $146,850 |
| 6. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $144,830 |
| 7. Syracuse, NY | $141,200 |
| 8. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $140,590 |
| 9. Richmond, VA | $140,460 |
| 10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $138,220 |
| 11. Monroe, MI | $136,260 |
| 12. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $134,510 |
| 13. Idaho Falls, ID | $133,970 |
| 14. Pittsburgh, PA | $133,250 |
| 15. Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $132,440 |
Pay in Apollo's markets
| Metro | Typical |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | $119,580 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | Not published |
| Houston | Not published |
| Austin | Not published |
| Charlotte | $131,850 |
| Raleigh | $130,300 |
| San Antonio | Not published |
| Chicago | $134,510 |
| Orlando | Not published |
| Tampa | Not published |
| Miami | $138,220 |
| Jacksonville | Not published |
| Greenville-Spartanburg | $124,690 |
| Columbia, SC | $128,340 |
| Charleston, SC | $129,590 |
| Savannah | Not published |
Related engineering salaries
Nuclear Engineer salary FAQs
How much does a nuclear engineer make in the US?
The typical (median) nuclear engineer in the US earns $133,970 a year, or about $64.41 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
What is the entry-level salary for a nuclear engineer in the US?
Early-career nuclear engineers in the US typically earn around $108,690 (the 25th percentile), and the lowest-paid 10% earn under $92,960. Degree, internships, licenses and the industry all move starting pay.
How much do experienced nuclear engineers earn in the US?
Experienced nuclear engineers in the US earn $163,630 or more (the 75th percentile), and the top 10% earn over $196,290.
Which state pays nuclear engineers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest typical pay for nuclear engineers at $195,190 a year. The highest-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $180,360 (BLS, May 2025).
Are nuclear engineers in demand?
BLS projects employment in this occupation to grow 0.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all jobs, with about 800 openings a year nationally as people retire, change jobs or the field grows.
Hiring nuclear engineers?
Where these numbers come from
Pay figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (OEWS), which surveys about 1.1 million employer locations and is the government's main source of pay by occupation and location. This page uses the May 2025 survey, released in 2026, and updates itself when BLS publishes the next year's figures. Job outlook comes from the BLS Employment Projections for 2025–35. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024, where the US average is 100.
Pay is base wages and salary before tax. It does not include bonuses, overtime, benefits or equity. Early career is the 25th percentile (a quarter of workers earn less), Typical is the median and Experienced is the 75th percentile. The bar shows the full range from the 10th to the 90th percentile. The salary rank check estimates a percentile by drawing straight lines between those five published points.
BLS groups some job titles together. Controls engineers, for example, are counted with electrical engineers, and CAD designers with drafters. Each result names the BLS occupation it uses so you can see exactly what is being measured. BLS does not publish every occupation in every area, for example when too few people in a job were surveyed or when a figure does not meet its reliability standards. When a metro figure is missing, the calculator shows the state figure, or the national figure if the state is also missing, and says so.
BLS occupation used on this page: Nuclear Engineers (SOC 17-2161).